North Dakota House passes bill for Renaissance Zone reentry

BISMARCK — Cities with expired Renaissance Zone group revitalization areas would be capable of reapply to this system underneath a invoice handed Thursday, Jan. 19, by the North Dakota Home of Representatives.

The invoice would influence cities corresponding to Bismarck, whose Renaissance Zone expired final yr when the Burleigh County Fee denied help to reauthorize this system, which is for revitalizing communities with residential and business growth by way of tax incentives.

Home Invoice 1266, introduced by Rep. Jason Dockter, R-Bismarck, handed the Home on an 84-7 vote. It now goes to the Senate.

Dockter advised the Tribune cities must observe the identical necessities as once they initially utilized, and must undergo the identical means of acquiring approval from native park, college, metropolis and county boards.

“I feel when (the Legislature) first initially put within the Renaissance Zone, they did not know if it was going to achieve success. It has been a really profitable program, and (the Legislature) did not even suppose forward that what if somebody does choose out and choose in?” he mentioned.

The 1999 Legislature created the Renaissance Zone Program; 62 communities have joined since, with 54 of them lively. Bismarck’s zone was established in 2001. It encompassed downtown Bismarck and a size alongside Essential Avenue.

Since inception in Bismarck, this system led to 136 accomplished tasks and 6 permitted or underneath development, and generated a complete funding of $83.2 million, in keeping with the previous zone authority chairman.

A latest Renaissance Zone challenge is the Trestle condo constructing and business area close to McDonald’s on Essential Avenue.

Bismarck’s Renaissance Zone in 2021 generated over $383,000 in internet property taxes, distributed to the native park district, faculties, metropolis and county, in keeping with a program research.

Burleigh County commissioners, in denying help final yr, cited considerations corresponding to rising property taxes and questioned this system’s tax incentives, the accuracy of its impacts and prices, and tasks perceived to have strayed from this system’s intent.

Renaissance Zone tasks obtain as much as 5 years of tax breaks, however do proceed to pay property taxes on the land worth throughout the exemption interval. North Dakota’s state Commerce Division manages the Renaissance Zone packages.

Renaissance Zone packages in Carrington, Kenmare, Rolla, Watford Metropolis and Westhope even have expired.

Gov. Doug Burgum has expressed help for laws such because the invoice, telling the Legislature earlier this month to refresh the Renaissance Zone program and permit for communities’ reentry.