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Lahaina’s Front Street area and a section of Kihei have been designated for a federal investment incentive program aimed at attracting private capital to economically distressed communities, according to Gov. Josh Green’s office.
Hawaii received 25 designations under the federal Opportunity Zones 2.0 program, including two on Maui, four on Hawaii Island and 19 on Oahu. The Maui designations cover census tracts identified as Lahaina Front Street and Kula Makai in Kihei.
The state secured the Lahaina designation through an appeal to the U.S. Department of the Treasury after the tract was initially deemed ineligible.
The program provides federal tax incentives to investors who commit long-term capital to designated low-income communities, with additional benefits for qualifying rural areas.
State officials said the incentives could help attract hundreds of millions of dollars in private investment statewide, supporting affordable housing, clean energy and industries such as health care, agriculture, tourism and advanced manufacturing.
A complete list and map of designated areas are available at cdfifund.gov/opportunity-zones.