Description: Enterprise Zones are a development tool to incent industrial development, creating higher wage jobs and higher capital investments within the zone boundary. State requirementsTo receive Enterprise Zone benefits, an eligible business must meet these requirements: Job creation: Existing companies located in the Metro area must increase permanent full-time employment by 10%; companies outside the Metro area must create at least one new full time job to qualify (except for special-case local sponsor waivers for investments over $25 million or 10% productivity increase for existing companies located in the Gresham zone). No concurrent job losses more than 30 miles from the zone. Maintain employment levels during exemption period. Enter into first-source agreement with local job training providers. Satisfy any additional local conditions.Gresham's requirementsIn addition to state requirements, the City requires:A minimum $1 million investment to be eligible for the Enterprise Zone program. For companies requesting an extended abatement of five years, an additional 5% community service fee will be assessed if the minimum $1 million investment is not met after three years. A procurement plan to increase purchasing with Gresham companies.Update September 2017 addition of tax lot R943341600
Description: The New Industries Grant provides an incentive to industrial companies to make capital investment and create quality jobs in the Rockwood-West Gresham Urban Renewal Area (URA).The grant amount is determined through a variety of factors, including the level of capital investment and number of new jobs created.EligibilityGrants support manufacturing, high-technology, or similar industrial and light-industrial projects locating or expanding in the URA. A minimum of $500,000 in new capital investment is required.Improvements may include:New construction. Machinery and equipment. Major renovation and tenant improvements that increase the assessed value of the property.
Description: Rockwood Urban Renewal Plan calls for an urban renewal program within Rockwood-West Gresham. Urban Renewal programs are used by cities and counties throughout Oregon to improve conditions in specific parts of their communities. These conditions are those that prevent the area from developing properly and thereby providing good housing, jobs and services.Urban renewal is a locally controlled program. This Plan will be administered by the Gresham Redevelopment Commission, which consists of the members of the Gresham City Council (as stated in the Gresham Revised Code, Article 2.24). The Plan was developed with extensive public involvement (described in detail below) and it will be carried out with the continued involvement of the citizens of Gresham and those with an interest in Rockwood-West Gresham.
Description: The Gresham Stategic Investment Zone covers 500 acres of industrial land. Qualifying traded-sector business investments within this geographic area that meet the SIZ criteria are eligible for partial property tax abatement for 15 years.A Strategic Investment Zone (SIZ), enabled during the 2005 Oregon Legislature (SB 879), is a form of Oregon's Strategic Investment Program (SIP).How the SIZ worksWhen an eligible company locates within the SIZ, it pays property taxes on the first $100 million of value of the improvements. The value above $100 million is abated. This partial property tax abatement lasts for 15 years. In addition to paying taxes on the first $100 million, the company pays an amount equal to 25% of the taxes, which would otherwise have been due, up to $2 million per year; this payment is called a community service fee. When a company’s taxable assessed value exceeds $750 million, additional payments are required. The company must enter into a first source hiring agreement with a third-party purveyor, to encourage hiring locally in East Multnomah County.
Description: "The Vertical Housing Development Zone (VHDZ) is a development tool created to encourage mixed use development in Gresham’s regional center within the VHDZ (Historic Downtown and Civic Neighborhood). Eligible projects include commercial/retail space on the ground floor with housing above. Those projects that meet the criteria receive a partial property tax exemption for 10 years, based on the number of equalized floors of residential development (the abatement is 20 to 80 percent). The partial property tax exemption applies only to the building value (not land), unless there is affordable housing included. If affordable housing is included in the project, a proportional amount of taxes on the land can also be abated."
Description: Incentive area for the Gresham Garage to Storefront Incentive which waives the following:• First-year business license fees • Development-related fees • System development charges (SDCs) $0 in City-related fees for new tenant improvement permits for an existing vacant commercial space between July 1, 2016, and June 30, 2017.Eligibility criteria Be a new business, or Be an existing Gresham business expanding by at least 10% Be located within the Central Rockwood, Civic Neighborhood and Downtown boundaries Occupy no more than 5,000 square feet Sign an agreement with the City certifying qualificationProperty ownersRemodel incentive$0 for City-related improvement permits by the property owner to remodel existing vacant commercial space. Facade improvement incentive$0 for City-related facade improvement permits for a vacant or occupied commercial space.Eligibility criteriaBe located in Central Rockwood, Civic Neighborhood or Downtown. Be an existing building. Do not exceed 5,000 square feet for each leasable tenant space in final configuration and the building must not exceed 30,000 square feet. Sign an agreement with the City certifying qualification. Non-eligibilityA business or property does not qualify for the Garage to Storefront incentive program if: It creates new construction. It is leased to a business or is a business that excludes minors during all hours of the day. It includes a drive-thru. It is a corporate or franchise store with more than three existing locations. It is a government office or agency.