Area towns among 67 applicants for 49 available enterprise zones
SPRINGFIELD — Several new enterprise zones representing Metro East interests are among the groups competing for approval from the state.
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity said today it has received 67 applications for enterprise zones from communities throughout the state.
The department will now review the applications. State law requires proposals for new and existing enterprise zones to compete for up to 49 available designations.
Enterprise zones encourage job growth and investment in economically depressed areas. Companies within a zone, or that agree to move into one, can qualify for tax incentives that include sales tax exemptions on purchases of building materials and manufacturing equipment and an exemption for utility taxes. Each zone is administered by a local official under rules set by the state.
Illinois law provides that 49 zones can be declared this year. The remainder of the state’s 97 available zones will be designated in 2016 through 2020.
Ten of the current applications call for new zones, while the rest seek renewal of existing zones. The applications were received by the deadline of Dec. 31.
DCEO will score each application and submit its findings to a five-member Enterprise Zone Board by June 30, 2015.
The board, to be appointed by Gov. Bruce Rauner, is expected to approve or deny the applications by Sept. 30, 2015, and the new zones will take effect Jan. 1, 2016.
State law gives the new zones a 15-year term, with a review by the board after 13 years for a possible 10-year extension.
To be deemed eligible for a zone, applications will be measured according to 10 criteria. They are: 1) a relatively high unemployment rate; 2) potential for significant job creation and investment; 3) relatively high poverty; 4) abandoned coal mines, brownfields or federal disaster declarations; 5) major layoffs; 6) high vacancy rate of industrial and commercial buildings; 7) existing plans to improve the local tax base; 8) plan for improving public infrastructure; 9) career skills programs at high schools and community colleges; and 10) unusual changes in the taxable value of business properties.
For more information on Illinois’ Enterprise Zone Program, and for more resources about doing business in Illinois, visit www.illinois.gov/dceo.
Applications for enterprise zones (67 total). “New” entries are indicated and represent applications for new zones.
Cook County (13)
1. Bedford Park, Bridgeview, Justice and Summit
2. Cal Sag (Alsip, Blue Island, Calumet Park, Country Club Hills, Dixmoor, East Hazel Crest, Harvey, Hazel Crest, Homewood, Markham, Merrionette Park, Midlothian, Oak Forest, Phoenix, Robbins, Worth, Cook County)
3. Calumet (Calumet City, Dolton, Lansing, Riverdale, South Holland, Thornton, Cook County)
4. Chicago I
5. Chicago II
6. Chicago III
7. Chicago IV
8. Chicago V
9. Chicago VI
10. Town of Cicero
11. NEW: Franklin Park
12. Hodgkins and McCook
13. Lincoln & 394 Corridor (Beecher, Chicago Heights, Crete, Ford Heights, Glenwood, Olympia Fields, Sauk Village, South Chicago Heights, Steger, Cook County, and Will County)
Collar Counties (Lake, McHenry, Kane, DuPage, Will) (5)
14. NEW: Bensenville
15. Des Plaines River Valley (Joliet, Lockport, Rockdale, Romeoville, Will County)
16. NEW: Diamond
17. NEW: Harvard, Woodstock, McHenry County
18. NEW: Will – Cook (Matteson, Monee, Park Forest, Richton Park, University Park, Will County, Cook County)
Rest of Illinois (49)
19. Alexander- Pulaski County (Alexander County, Pulaski County, Cairo, Mound City, Mounds)
20. Belleville
21. Bloomington/Normal/McLean County/Gibson City/Ford County
22. Boone County (Boone County, Belvidere, Poplar Grove, Capron)
23. Bureau/Putnam Area (Granville, Hennepin, Mark, Ladd, Princeton, Spring Valley, Bureau County, Putnam County)
24. Canton/Fulton County
25. Centralia, Wamac, Village of Central City, Clinton County , Marion County, Jefferson County and Washington County
26. City of Champaign & Champaign County
27. Clinton County (Clinton County, Carlyle, Breese, Trenton, New Baden, Germantown, Aviston, Albers, Damiansville)
28. Danville/Vermilion County
29. Decatur/Macon County (Decatur, Macon County, Forsyth, Long Creek, Mount Zion)
30. DeKalb County (DeKalb County, Cortland, DeKalb, Genoa, Sandwich, Sycamore, Waterman)
31. NEW: Edgar County (Paris, Edgar County, Chrisman, Kansas)
32. Effingham & Effingham County
33. NEW: Fairmont City, Caseyville, Brooklyn, St. Clair County
34. NEW: Fairview Heights
35. Franklin County I-57 (Benton, West Frankfort, West City, Franklin County)
36. Galesburg
37. Greenville/Bond County
38. Henry County (Annawan, Henry County, Atkinson, Cambridge, Carbon Cliff, Galva, Geneseo, Orion, Woodhull)
39. Illinois Valley (LaSalle County, LaSalle, North Utica, Oglesby, Peru)
40. Jasper County (Jasper County, Newton and Sainte Marie)
41. Kankakee County
42. Kankakee County, Manteno, Grant Park, Momence, Hopkins Park
43. Kankakee County, City of Kankakee, Aroma Park, Bourbonnais, Bradley, Herscher
44. NEW: Loves Park/Machesney Park
45. Macomb, Bushnell, McDonough County
46. NEW: Madison County Discovery (Collinsville, Village of Glen Carbon, City of Highland, Village of Maryville, Village of St. Jacob)
47. Marshall County (Marshall County, Henry, Lacon, Sparland, Toluca, Wenona)
48. Massac County (Metropolis, Brookport, Joppa, Massac County)
49. Monmouth/Warren County
50. Mount Carmel/Wabash County
51. Mount Vernon/Waltonville/Dix/Jefferson County
52. Nashville/Washington County
53. Olney/Richland County
54. Ottawa Area (Grundy County, LaSalle County, Marseilles, Ottawa, Seneca, Channahon, Coal City, Morris)
55. Peoria Urban (Peoria, Peoria County, West Peoria, Peoria Heights)
56. Peoria Rural (Peoria County, Chillicothe, Princeville, Elmwood, Hanna City)
57. Quad Cities (Rock Island, Moline, East Moline, Silvis, Milan, Rock Island County)
58. Quincy/Adams/Brown County (Quincy, Adams County, Mt. Sterling, Brown County)
59. Riverbend (Madison County, Alton, Bethalto, East Alton, Hartford, Roxana, South Roxana, Wood River)
60. Rockford EZ #1: City of Rockford
61. Rockford I-90: City of Rockford
62. Southwest Madison County (Madison County, Madison, Granite City, Venice)
63. Springfield & Sangamon County
64. Streator Area (Streator, LaSalle, County of Livingston)
65. Southern Tazewell County (Pekin, Morton, Tremont, Tazewell County)
66. Northern Tazewell County (East Peoria, Washington, Germantown Hills, Tazewell County)
67. Urbana (Urbana/Champaign County)
