Relating to the redevelopment tax credit program, the nuisance property remediation assistance fund, and assistance for communities to address abandoned buildings

This bill relates to the redevelopment tax credit program, the nuisance property remediation assistance fund, and assistance for communities to address abandoned buildings. Under current law, a redevelopment tax credit may be granted in an amount of percent of a taxpayer’s qualifying investment in a grayfield site, or percent of a taxpayer’s qualifying investment in a grayfield site if the qualifying redevelopment project meets the requirements of a green development. Under the bill, a grayfield site of more than 50,000 square feet that is located in a community with a population of less than 30,000 may be awarded a redevelopment tax credit for a term of two years at the discretion of the board of the Iowa economic development authority (IEDA). Under the bill, the IEDA may use moneys in the nuisance property remediation assistance fund to provide financial assistance, not to exceed $500,000, to cities for the remediation of nuisance properties, abandoned buildings, and other structures of 50,000 square feet. Financial assistance may include loans or forgivable loans with a minimum term of 120 months and a maximum term of 180 months. Twenty-five percent of the loan or forgivable loan shall be forgiven upon successful remediation of the nuisance property. More than percent may be forgiven at the discretion of the director. Successful remediation is determined by the size of the remediation project, the beginning condition of the nuisance property, and if there has been a meaningful change to the nuisance property, such as the nuisance property has been cleared or cleaned, is for sale, has a proposed reuse plan, has been repurposed, or any other meaningful change. Under current law, the groundwater protection fund includes a solid waste account of which not more than $400,000 shall be allocated to the department of natural resources (DNR) for purposes of providing funding assistance to eligible communities to address abandoned buildings by promoting waste abatement, diversion, selective dismantlement of building components, and recycling. Under current law, eligible communities for funding assistance include a city with a population of 5,000 or fewer. Under the bill, eligible communities also include a city with a population between 5,000 and 30,000, for which the DNR may provide funding assistance in an amount equal to $10 per square foot of the abandoned building, not to exceed $1 million. Under the bill, an application for funding assistance may be submitted by any county or municipal government that meets the population requirements of an eligible community, and the abandoned building that is the subject of such application may be owned by any person.