Sec. 3.

(1) "Commercial facilities tax" means the specific tax levied under this act.

(2) "Commercial facilities exemption certificate" means a certificate issued pursuant to section 8.

(3) "Commercial property" means land improvements classified by law for general ad valorem tax purposes as real property including real property assessable as personal property pursuant to sections 8(d) and 14(6) of the general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.8 and 211.14, whether completed or in the process of construction, the primary purpose and use of which is the operation of a commercial business enterprise and shall include office, engineering, research and development, warehousing parts distribution, retail sales, hotel or motel development, and other commercial facilities. Commercial business enterprise also includes a business that owns or operates a transit-oriented development or a transit-oriented facility. Commercial property does not include any of the following:

(a) Land.

(b) Property of a public utility.

(c) Housing, except that portion of a building containing nonhousing commercial activity.

(d) Financial organization. As used in this subdivision, "financial organization" means a bank, industrial bank, trust company, building and loan or savings and loan association, bank holding company as defined in 12 USC 1841, credit union, safety and collateral deposit company, regulated investment company as defined in the internal revenue code, and any other association, joint stock company, or corporation at least 90% of whose assets consist of intangible personal property and at least 90% of whose gross receipts income consists of dividends or interest or other charges resulting from the use of money or credit. The exclusion of financial institutions shall not apply to the otherwise included property of financial institutions which is located in the designated area of a city that is either the largest city in population within the county, as determined by the latest federal census; or is a city that had more than the median percentage for all cities in this state of its residents below the poverty line as determined by the latest federal census. Each city qualified to not be excluded under this subdivision shall designate only 1 commercial area for purposes of this provision, which area may be conterminous with, or included within, a commercial redevelopment district and in which area a majority of the land must be zoned commercially.

Commercial property may be owned or leased. If, in the case of leased property, the lessee is liable for payment of ad valorem property taxes, and furnishes proof of that liability, the lessee is eligible for the exemption. If the lessor is liable for payment of ad valorem property taxes and furnishes proof of that liability, the lessor is eligible for the exemption.

(4) "Commercial redevelopment district" means an area of a local governmental unit established as provided in section 5.

(5) "Commission" means the state tax commission created by 1927 PA 360, MCL 209.101 to 209.107.

(6) "Facility" means a restored facility, a replacement facility, or a new facility.

History: 1978, Act 255, Imd. Eff. June 21, 1978 ;-- Am. 1980, Act 407, Imd. Eff. Jan. 8, 1981 ;-- Am. 2008, Act 227, Imd. Eff. July 17, 2008 ;-- Am. 2010, Act 244, Imd. Eff. Dec. 14, 2010