The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 created the designation “Opportunity Zone,” for which the Internal Revenue Service will allow tax advantages for certain investments in lower-income areas when an Opportunity Fund invests more than 90% of its assets in a zoned property.
As of last December, there were nearly 8,800 Opportunity Zones in the U.S. and its five possessions, according to the Treasury Department. Developers must invest in Qualified Opportunity Zones by the end of this year to meet a seven-year holding period that allows them to exclude 15% of the deferred capital gain. The IRS is in the final stages of finalizing this program’s regulatory framework.
One such investment entity is Chicago-based Decennial Group, which is targeting investment of $1 billion in development projects to leverage the tax incentives created by the 2017 law. Over the next decade the JV could look to invest up to $20 billion for new projects, according to The Real Deal, which also reports that Decennial Group is exploring 250 potential projects in Opportunity Zones around the country, and is in advanced negotiations on at least three projects.
Decennial Group is a joint venture comprised of Scott Goodman, the founding principal of Farpoint Development, a real estate development company; Bob Clark, founder and CEO of Clayco, the full-service development, planning, architecture, engineering, and construction firm; and Shawn Clark, president of CRG, Clayco’s real estate and development company.
According to a prepared statement, Decennial Group will focus on commercial, industrial, multifamily, and energy projects located in Opportunity Zones, and especially in America’s heartland region.
One of Farpoint Development's investments is Burnham Lakefront, located within an Opportunity Zone on Chicago's South Side. Image: Farpoint Development
Among Goodman’s development projects is Burnham Lakefront, a 100-acre campus within a recently designated Opportunity Zone that’s the former site of Michael Reese Hospital near the McCormick Place Marshalling Yard on Chicago South Side. The developer is planning 12 million sf of vertical construction along two miles of lakefront.
“Decennial will make smart, long-term investments throughout the country, but we will begin by capitalizing on deep relationships and an already strong pipeline of deals in the Heartland, where we have unparalleled investing experience,” says Goodman.
Bob Clark adds that CRG will provide development and site selection expertise as well as design-build services so that Decennial Group can “act quickly on great OZ opportunities around the country.”
Decennial Group is distinguishing itself from other OZ funds with a renewable energy strategy that’s being led by David Pavlik, cofounder and principal with 11 Million Acres, a leading energy real estate development platform that has structured over $2 billion in renewable energy and infrastructure projects.
The joint venture has tapped Steve Glickman, founder and CEO of Washington D.C.-based Develop LLC, as a senior advisor to the management team. Glickman is cofounder and former CEO of the economic Innovation Group, which was an architect of the Opportunity Zone program.
Related Stories
Mixed-Use | Oct 20, 2022
ROI on resilient multifamily construction can be as high as 72%
A new study that measured the economic value of using FORTIFIED Multifamily, a voluntary beyond-code construction and re-roofing method developed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), found the return can be as high as 72%.
Mixed-Use | Oct 18, 2022
Mixed-use San Diego tower inspired by coastal experience and luxury travel
The new 525 Olive mixed use San Diego tower was inspired by the coastal experience and luxury travel.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 7, 2022
Design for new Ft. Lauderdale mixed-use tower features sequence of stepped rounded volumes
The newly revealed design for 633 SE 3rd Ave., a 47-story, mixed-use tower in Ft. Lauderdale, features a sequence of stepped rounded volumes that ease the massing of the tower as it rises.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Sep 8, 2022
Chicago Bears unveil preliminary master plan for suburban stadium district
As the 2022 NFL season kicks off, the league’s original franchise is fortifying plans to leave its landmark lakefront stadium for a multi-billion-dollar mixed-use stadium district in northwest suburban Arlington Heights.
| Aug 31, 2022
A mixed-use development in Salt Lake City provides 126 micro units with mountain views
In Salt Lake City, a new 130,000-square-foot development called Mya and The Shop SLC, designed by EskewDumezRipple, combines housing with coworking space, retail, and amenities, as well as a landscaped exterior for both residents and the public.
| Aug 15, 2022
Boston high-rise will be largest Passive House office building in the world
Winthrop Center, a new 691-foot tall, mixed-use tower in Boston was recently honored with the Passive House Trailblazer award.
Mixed-Use | Jul 21, 2022
Former Los Angeles Macy’s store converted to mixed-use commercial space
Work to convert the former Westside Pavilion Macy's department store in West Los Angeles to a mixed-use commercial campus recently completed.
Mixed-Use | Jul 18, 2022
Mixed-use development outside Prague uses a material made from leftover bricks
Outside Prague, the Sugar Factory, a mixed-used residential development with public space, marks the largest project to use the sustainable material Rebetong.
Mixed-Use | May 19, 2022
Seattle-area project will turn mall into residential neighborhood
A recently unveiled plan will transform a 463,000 sf mall into a mixed-use destination site in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue, Wash.
Building Team | May 18, 2022
Bjarke Ingels-designed KING Toronto releases its final set of luxury penthouses
In April 2020, a penthouse at KING Toronto sold for $16 million, the highest condo sale in Toronto that year or the year after.
