Quincy/Adams County/Brown County Enterprise Zone

How it works

The Quincy/Adams County/Brown County Enterprise Zone is a designated local incentive area intended to encourage investment in certain parts of the city and surrounding county area. The official page says benefits apply to qualifying commercial, industrial, and residential projects that are located within the zone boundaries and involve work large enough to require a building permit.

What the money covers

The program does not provide a direct cash payment. Instead, it offers cost relief through three incentives:

• Property tax abatement on the increased assessment amount only
• Sales tax exemption on building materials that will be permanently incorporated into real estate
• Reduced permit fees for qualifying building-related permits

The page also mentions targeted supplier/customer recruitment incentives for industrial taxpayers if they create additional improvements and capital expenditures of at least $1 million in the zone within five years from the start of the initial abatement.

Amounts and matching

• Property tax abatement: Properties within the zone boundaries receive 100% abatement of real estate taxes on the increased assessment amount only.
• Residential projects: Qualified residential projects in the zone’s core area receive a five-year abatement.
• Industrial and commercial projects: Available for 10 years.
• Building materials sales tax exemption: Applies to eligible building materials for one year after a building permit is issued.
• Reduced permit fees: 50% reduction of all building-related permit fees normally charged for rehabilitation, expansion, or new construction projects in the zone.
• Administration fee: For sales tax exemption certificates, an administration fee is charged equal to 0.5% of the documented cost of building materials, up to a maximum of $50,000, paid by the owner.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted to the Zone Administrator at the Quincy Department of Planning and Development, City Hall Annex, 706 Maine, Third Floor, Quincy, Illinois. The page gives the phone number 217-228-4515. Applications must be submitted at the time building permits are issued; retroactive permits will not be issued.

Timing and deadlines

• The zone began on 2016-01-01.
• The term of the zone is 15 years and it ends at midnight on 2031-12-31, unless it expires sooner, is decertified by the state, or is repealed by the General Assembly.
• After the 13th year, the zone is subject to State Enterprise Zone Board review for an additional 10-year designation beginning on the zone’s expiration date.
• All incentives and benefits cease upon expiration.

Reporting and compliance

Recipients of sales tax exemption certificates must file reports with the Illinois Department of Revenue using its online reporting system and keep records of purchases made with the certificate. Certificate holders must notify the administrator when the project is completed and submit a close-out report. Eligible taxpayers must also agree to maintain a minimum 90% employment at the project location, and failure to comply may result in termination of remaining abatement and/or pro-rata repayment of previously abated property tax.