Develop Abilene is setting a new standard for proactive economic development, earning recognition as a GURU Trailblazer for their innovative use of data to anticipate and prepare for Opportunity Zones 2.0.

Rather than waiting for federal guidance to be finalized, the team took an early, strategic approach by leveraging GURU Site Selection to model what the future of Opportunity Zones could look like and what it means for their community.

Seeing Opportunity Before It’s Defined

When early discussions of Opportunity Zones 2.0 began circulating, most communities were still waiting for formal guidance. Develop Abilene took a different approach. They acted.

Akane Thaxton, Manager of Business Retention & Expansion, identified a critical need: to understand how proposed changes could impact local properties and investment strategy. The goal was clear: determine where future Opportunity Zones could be designated and prepare accordingly.

Working collaboratively, the team, alongside Vice President Brock New, reached out to GIS WebTech to explore how data could provide early insight into these potential changes.

That single request sparked a powerful innovation.

Building the Opportunity Zones 2.0 Layer

In partnership with GIS WebTech, and led by Joe Arke, created a custom “Opportunity Zones 2.0 Eligibility Estimate” layer and added it directly to Develop Abilene’s GURU platform, making Develop Abilene the first organization in the country to implement this capability.

By integrating this data into GURU Site Selection, Develop Abilene gained the ability to:

• Compare existing Opportunity Zones with future-eligible areas
• Identify high-potential investment locations ahead of official designations
• Align property strategy with anticipated federal policy changes
• Advocate more effectively at the state level for qualifying tracts

Develop Abilene was the first organization to proactively request this capability, setting a precedent for others across the country.

From Data to Actionable Strategy

What sets Develop Abilene apart is not just the creation of the data layer but how they are using it.

The team is focused on “stacking incentives,” bringing together Opportunity Zones, property data, infrastructure insights, and community assets into a single, unified platform.

This integrated approach allows them to:

• Deliver stronger, data-backed narratives to site selectors and investors
• Provide faster, more informed responses to prospects
• Identify gaps and opportunities across their property portfolio
• Strengthen internal collaboration and strategic alignment

It represents a shift from reactive economic development to predictive, insight-driven strategy.

A Model for Forward-Thinking Communities

Develop Abilene’s work highlights a broader shift in the industry: leading economic development organizations are no longer waiting for policy changes, they are modeling them in advance.

By leveraging GURU’s custom data layer capabilities, Develop Abilene transformed uncertainty into a strategic advantage.

What began as a single request has now become a scalable solution and can be applied by communities nationwide looking to better understand and prepare for Opportunity Zones 2.0.

Trailblazers In Action

As a GURU Trailblazer, Develop Abilene exemplifies what’s possible when innovation, data, and leadership come together.

Their work on Opportunity Zones 2.0 is more than a technical enhancement, it’s a blueprint for modern economic development. A blueprint that shows how communities can:

• Anticipate change instead of reacting to it
• Use data to guide smarter decisions
• Equip stakeholders with meaningful, actionable insights

In a competitive landscape where timing and information are everything, Develop Abilene has positioned itself, and their community, one step ahead.

If you are a current customer and would like to add the Opportunity Zones 2.0 layer to your GURU Site Selection instance, please contact Cathy Becker at cathy@giswebtech.com or Joe Arke at joe@giswebtech.com.

If you are not currently a customer and would like to learn more about GURU Site Selection and the Opportunity Zones 2.0 layer, please schedule a demo.