962 - Empire zone development plan.
§ 962. Empire zone development plan. An empire zone development plan shall be submitted for approval with the commissioner and with the local empire zone administrative board, and shall demonstrate the methods by which the applicant intends to promote the development of new business and the expansion of existing business within the empire zone and shall include, but shall not be limited to: (a) a statement indicating how empire zone designation would assist in the revitalization of the area in which such zone is proposed to be located; (b) a description of the method by which industrial development agencies or other public finance agencies shall grant a preference for allocation of private activity bonding authority for projects located in the proposed empire zone; (c) a description of proposals for infrastructure improvements and investments and a timetable for their completion; (d) a statement identifying those local tax incentives proposed to be offered within the zone; (e) a description of a procedure to expedite the issuance of any required local permits or licenses; (f) a description of other activities to be undertaken by municipal agencies, business entities, not-for-profit corporations, community-based organizations or any other persons, which are designed to promote private sector business investment and job development in the empire zone and a description of the job training or job placement services to be made available to empire zone residents in need of such training or services; (g) an inventory of real property located within the proposed empire zone that is owned by a municipality or the state and is currently unused by the municipality or the state; (h) a description of the business development programs and services to be available to stimulate the creation of new small businesses, including new small minority and women business enterprises; (i) a description of efforts that will be undertaken to prevent or discourage the displacement of residents of the proposed empire zone; (j) a description of activities designed to ensure the meaningful participation of minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises in empire zone development activities; (k) a description of provisions for the participation of not-for-profit and business corporations in the development of the plan and in strategies for implementation of the plan; (l) a description of the marketing strategy to be employed by the applicant to promote business development in the zone and the resources to be committed by the applicant and other organizations to the implementation of such strategy; (m) a description of the method by which the applicant will evaluate the success of any activities to be undertaken in the proposed empire zone, provided, however, that the applicant shall take into consideration the factors upon which the selection of the area was based in any evaluation; (n) a description of provisions for participation and allocation of funds by the affected service delivery area private industry council and administrative entity established pursuant to the job training partnership act (P.L. 97-300, as amended) to provide job training in the zone; (o) a statement of the reasons why the particular geographic configuration of the zone was selected;(p) a description of the structure and duties of the local zone administrative board to be established within each empire zone as provided in section nine hundred sixty-one of this article; (q) a description of the special programs to be operated by educational institutions and other training entities in the area to prepare and train zone residents for employment by businesses located within and outside the zone; (r) a statement from the appropriate regional economic development council setting forth the specific resources to be allocated for business development in the zone; (s) a description of facilities for licensed and certified child day care for the children of persons engaged in training for employment in, or employed in, the zone; (t) description of specific strategies and priorities for economic revitalization of the zone and of indicators to be used to measure performance against objectives; (u) a statement of human resource development goals for the empire zone and specific strategies for achieving them; (v) a description of how the applicant will use zone designation to coordinate economic development programs and providers at the local level to service the zone; (w) a description of the organizational actions to be taken by the local empire zone administrative board and zone administrative entities to implement specified business, community and human resource development goals and strategies; (x) a description of the financial commitments which the applicant is prepared to make to the zone, including, but not limited to, specific commitments for infrastructure improvements; (y) a description of how the local economic development entities, as described in paragraph (xii) of subdivision (b) of section nine hundred sixty-one of this article will integrate its services to allow for the best possible economic development support for the zone; (z) any zone designated prior to the enactment of this paragraph shall submit a new development plan, as defined pursuant to this section, in conjunction with the requirements set forth in subdivision (d) of section nine hundred fifty-seven of this article which the commissioner shall approve or disapprove such plan within ninety days of submission; (aa) the development plan established pursuant to this section shall be resubmitted by the local zone administrative board as economic conditions change within the zone, or when other factors trigger a need for a change in the development plan as determined by the local zone administrative board; (bb) a description of specific strategies and actions taken by the local empire zone administration board and zone administrative entities to integrate economic goals with the objectives of community well-being and environmental protection, such as open space protection, that will promote new development patterns in order to take advantage of resources and opportunities, such as existing public sewer and water infrastructure, without compromising the needs of future generations; and