Augusta-Richmond
County
created an ordinance pursuant to the “Georgia Enterprise Zone
Employment Act of 1997” to provide tax incentives and other
incentives establishing the “The Rocky Creek Enterprise
Zone” to include business or service enterprises and housing
enterprise zones.
The Rocky Creek Enterprise Zone shall continue for a
period of ten (10) years unless redesignated as an EZ for an additional
period. Eligible types of businesses and projects include
manufacturing, warehousing and distribution, processing,
telecommunications, tourism, research and development, new residential
construction, residential rehabilitation and finance, insurance and
real estate.
In
order to be eligible for incentives, eligible businesses must
increase employment by five or more new full time job equivalents and
maintain the jobs for the duration of the tax exemption period of ten
years. Whenever possible, at least 10% of the new employees filling the
jobs that satisfy the job creation required should be low to
moderate-income individuals.
Qualifying businesses and
residential projects
are exempt from state,
county and municipal ad valorem taxes, except the portion of taxes
collected for the school district, in accordance with the following
schedule:
| Years
1–5 |
100% |
| Years
6–7 |
80% |
| Year
8 |
60% |
| Year
9 |
40% |
| Year
10 |
20% |
| Year
11 |
0% |
Other incentives that may be granted will be
negotiated on a
case-by-case basis by ARC Commission through Housing and Neighborhood
Development and could include exception from any or all of the
following:
• Building Permit Fees
• Sign Permit Fees
• Business License Administrative Fees
• Rezoning Fees
• Engineering Fees
• Other local fees authorized by the ARC Commission, as applicable.
Several other incentives
in the Rocky Creek EZ are available to
encourage the investment of private resources to help reduce blight and
increase employment opportunities.
Housing and
Neighborhood
Development (HND) makes the following
incentives and programs available in the Enterprise Zone:
•Tax Abatements
•Economic
Development
Loan Program
The Rocky Creek Enterprise Zone begins at the intersection of Milledgeville and Tubman Home Road: SE to the intersection of Peach Orchard Road: SE to the intersection of State Route 56 to the intersection of Nixon Road; East with the right-of-way of the Norfolk Southern Railroad to the intersection of Rocky Creek; West to the intersection of Deans bridge Road; SW to the intersection of Richmond Hill Road to the intersection of the Bobby Jones (I-520) Expressway; West to the intersection of Old McDuffie Road: North to the intersection of Milledgeville Road: NE to the intersection of Milledgeville Road to the point of the beginning.
