Overview

Qualified municipalities may be able to request that the DECD Commissioner designate a Manufacturing Plant Zone within their city/town. Once approved, that designation would enable eligible projects within the Manufacturing Plan Zone to qualify for Enterprise Zone-level benefits.

Key Benefits

For qualifying manufacturers: Companies involved in manufacturing, research associated with manufacturing and distribution warehousing (new construction/expansion only) may benefit from:

• a five-year, 80% property tax abatement; and
• a 10-year, 25% business tax credit. 

For qualifying service companies: Certain service companies may also be eligible for these benefits based on several sliding scales:

• If they invest $20-90 million: a five-year, 40% property tax abatement on real estate and/or equipment; OR
• if they invest more than $90 million: a five-year, 80% property tax abatement on real estate and/or equipment.

• If they create 300-599 jobs: a ten-year, 15% business tax credit; UP TO
• if they create 2,000+ jobs: a ten-year, 50% business tax credit.

Eligibility

Any city/town of less than 20,000 people that is contiguous to a Targeted Investment Community may petition the DECD Commissioner for this zoning designation as long as it:

• is located next to a census tract in a Targeted Investment Community;
• has a low- or moderate-income housing project;
• contains a facility of at least 180,000 square feet formerly used for printing or allied industries;
• includes at least 100 acres of land that is vacant and zoned industrial or commercial;
• borders at least a portion of a railroad track and a stream.

Note: any municipality that designates a Manufacturing Plant Zone will not be considered a Targeted Investment Community, and no other incentives programs or benefits available to a Targeted Investment Community apply. 

How to Apply

1. Before starting any project, the business must first submit a formal request — preferably through the local economic development office for the town.
2. That application — along with any additional required documents — must be submitted prior to October 1 of the year in which the project will be completed.  
3. If approved, DECD will issue a Certificate of Eligibility within a few weeks.

Current Designations