(a) Any municipality with a population less than twenty thousand that is contiguous to a targeted investment community may request the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development to approve the designation as manufacturing plants those properties located in a census tract or contiguous to such census tract, or any portion thereof, provided such census tract or portion thereof (1) is contiguous to a census tract located in a targeted investment community and that has a low or moderate income housing project, (2) contains a facility of at least one hundred eighty thousand square feet that was formerly used for printing and allied industries, (3) includes at least one hundred acres of land that is vacant and zoned for commercial, industrial or other economic base activity and (4) has a boundary that consists of a portion of a railroad track and a stream. In approving a designation under this subsection, the commissioner shall consider the development rationale, proposed local effort and job creation potential of the area of the municipality for which the designation is sought, as demonstrated in the proposal from the municipality. Qualified properties designated as manufacturing plants under this section shall be entitled to the same benefits, subject to the same conditions, under the general statutes for which businesses located in an enterprise zone qualify.

(b) A municipality which has an enterprise zone designated under section 32-70 and a manufacturing plant having an area of at least five hundred thousand square feet which is located outside of the enterprise zone may, with the approval of the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, designate the manufacturing plant. A qualified manufacturing plant designated under this section shall be entitled to the same benefits, subject to the same conditions, under the general statutes for which businesses located in an enterprise zone qualify. The commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 which (1) further define the term “manufacturing plant” for the purposes of this subsection, (2) establish an application procedure for municipalities seeking the approval of the commissioner for qualified manufacturing plant designations under this subsection, and (3) establish criteria for the issuance by the commissioner of approvals for designations under this subsection.

(P.A. 96-239, S. 8, 17; P.A. 98-146, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 96-239 effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 98-146 inserted new Subsec. (a) re designation of properties as manufacturing plants and redesignated existing provisions as Subsec. (b).