Murphy, Baraka to appear at opportunity zone summit

Gov. Phil Murphy and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka will speak at the Forbes Opportunity Zone Summit on May 21, the group announced Wednesday.

The opportunity zone program was passed as part of the Republican tax plan enacted in 2017. The program’s goal is to provide investment in low-income rural and urban communities.

The program, the provisions of which include things like tax incentives, is aimed at boosting the economy in low-income areas and may prove useful to furthering development in New Jersey’s most populous city.

The summit, which will be held in Newark, will also feature speeches from author J.D. Vance and NBA Hall of Famer David Robinson.