Bill Text: MI SB1113 | 2009-2010 | 95th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Economic development; commercial redevelopment; tax incentives for buildings that are LEED-certified; provide for. Amends secs. 3, 4, 6 & 8 of 1978 PA 255 (MCL 207.653 et seq.).

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-09-23 - Referred To Committee Of The Whole With Substitute S-1 [SB1113 Detail]

Download: Michigan-2009-SB1113-Introduced.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE BILL No. 1113

 

 

February 4, 2010, Introduced by Senators BIRKHOLZ, BARCIA, CROPSEY, ALLEN, PAPPAGEORGE, BASHAM, CLARKE, HUNTER and KUIPERS and referred to the Committee on Commerce and Tourism.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1978 PA 255, entitled

 

"Commercial redevelopment act,"

 

by amending sections 3, 4, 6, and 8 (MCL 207.653, 207.654, 207.656,

 

and 207.658), sections 3 and 4 as amended by 2008 PA 227 and

 

section 6 as amended by 1980 PA 407.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     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 but shall 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, or a LEED certified facility.

 

     Sec. 4. (1) "LEED construction activities" means 1 or more of

 

the following:

 

     (a) Construction of a LEED certified facility.

 

     (b) Renovating or upgrading a LEED certified facility for the

 

purpose of achieving LEED certification or maintaining or

 

increasing the level of an existing LEED certification.

 

     (2) "LEED certification" means a certification issued under

 

the leadership in energy and environmental design green building

 

rating system developed by the U.S. green building council.

 

     (3) "LEED certified facility" 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, and which have either

 

received LEED certification or for which LEED certification will be

 

sought, but shall not include land. A LEED certified facility is

 

not required to be dedicated to any primary purpose or use and may

 

include, but is not limited to, commercial, industrial, or

 

residential uses or multiple uses.

 

     (4) (1) "Local governmental unit" means, except as otherwise

 

provided in this subsection, a city, village, or township. For

 

local governmental units designating a commercial redevelopment

 

district after June 30, 2008, local governmental unit means a city

 

or village. For purposes of LEED certified facilities, local

 

governmental unit includes a city or village and also includes a

 

township that has a population of 20,000 or more.

 

     (5) (2) "New facility" means 1 of the following:

 

     (a) Through June 30, 2008, new commercial property other than

 

a replacement facility to be built in a redevelopment district.

 

     (b) Beginning July 1, 2008, new commercial property other than

 

a replacement facility to be built in a redevelopment district that

 

meets all of the following:

 

     (i) Is located on property that is zoned to allow for mixed use

 

that includes high-density residential use.

 

     (ii) Is located in a qualified downtown revitalization district

 

as defined in section 2 of the neighborhood enterprise zone act,

 

1992 PA 147, MCL 207.772.

 


     (iii) The local governmental unit in which the new facility is

 

to be located does all of the following:

 

     (A) Establishes and implements an expedited local permitting

 

and inspection process in the commercial redevelopment district.

 

     (B) By resolution provides for walkable nonmotorized

 

interconnections, including sidewalks and streetscapes throughout

 

the commercial redevelopment district.

 

     (6) (3) "Obsolete commercial property" means commercial

 

property the condition of which is impaired due to changes in

 

design, construction, technology, or improved production processes,

 

or damage due to fire, natural disaster, or general neglect.

 

     (7) (4) "Replacement" means the complete or partial demolition

 

of obsolete commercial property and the complete or partial

 

reconstruction or installation of new property of similar utility.

 

     (8) (5) "Replacement facility" means 1 of the following:

 

     (a) Through June 30, 2008, commercial property on the same or

 

contiguous land within the district which land is or is to be

 

acquired, constructed, altered, or installed for the purpose of

 

being substituted for obsolete commercial property together with

 

any part of the old altered property that remains for use as

 

commercial property after the replacement.

 

     (b) Beginning July 1, 2008, commercial property on the same or

 

contiguous land within the district which land is or is to be

 

acquired, constructed, altered, or installed for the purpose of

 

being substituted for obsolete commercial property and any part of

 

the old altered property that remains for use as commercial

 

property after the replacement, that meets all of the following:

 


     (i) Is located on property that is zoned to allow for mixed use

 

that includes high-density residential use.

 

     (ii) Is located in a qualified downtown revitalization district

 

as defined in section 2 of the neighborhood enterprise zone act,

 

1992 PA 147, MCL 207.772.

 

     (iii) The local governmental unit in which the replacement

 

facility is to be located does all of the following:

 

     (A) Establishes and implements an expedited local permitting

 

and inspection process in the commercial redevelopment district.

 

     (B) By resolution provides for walkable nonmotorized

 

interconnections, including sidewalks and streetscapes throughout

 

the commercial redevelopment district.

 

     (9) (6) "Restoration" means changes to obsolete commercial

 

property other than replacement as may be required to restore the

 

property, together with all appurtenances thereto, to an

 

economically efficient condition. Restoration includes major

 

renovation including but not limited to the improvement of floor

 

loads, correction of deficient or excessive height, new or improved

 

fixed building equipment, including heating, ventilation, and

 

lighting, reducing multistory facilities to 1 or 2 stories,

 

improved structural support including foundations, improved roof

 

structure and cover, floor replacement, improved wall placement,

 

improved exterior and interior appearance of buildings, and other

 

physical changes required to restore the commercial property to an

 

economically efficient condition. Restoration does not include

 

improvements aggregating less than 10% of the true cash value of

 

the property at commencement of the restoration of the commercial

 


property.

 

     (10) (7) "Restored facility" means a facility that has

 

undergone restoration.

 

     (11) (8) "State equalized valuation" means the valuation

 

determined under 1911 PA 44, MCL 209.1 to 209.8.

 

     Sec. 6. (1) The owner or lessee of a facility may file an

 

application for a commercial facilities exemption certificate with

 

the clerk of the local governmental unit that established the

 

commercial redevelopment district. The application shall be filed

 

in the manner and form prescribed by the commission. The

 

application shall contain or be accompanied by a general

 

description of the facility and a general description of the

 

proposed use of the facility, the general nature and extent of the

 

restoration, replacement, or construction to be undertaken, a

 

descriptive list of the fixed building equipment which will be a

 

part of the facility, a time schedule for undertaking and

 

completing the restoration, replacement, or construction of the

 

facility, a statement of the economic advantages expected from the

 

exemption, including the number of jobs retained or created because

 

of the exemption, including expected construction employment, and

 

information relating to the requirements in section 10.

 

     (2) Upon receipt of an application for a commercial facilities

 

exemption certificate, the clerk of the local governmental unit

 

shall notify in writing the assessor of the assessing unit in which

 

the facility is located or to be located, and to the legislative

 

body of each taxing unit which levies ad valorem property taxes in

 

the local governmental unit in which the facility is located or to

 


be located. Before acting upon the application, the legislative

 

body of the local governmental unit shall hold a public hearing on

 

the application and give public notice to the applicant, the

 

assessor, a representative of the affected taxing jurisdictions,

 

and the general public. The hearing on the application shall be

 

held separately from the hearing on the establishment of the

 

commercial redevelopment district.

 

     (3) Upon receipt of an application for a commercial facility

 

exemption certificate for a facility located on property which was

 

owned by a local governmental unit on June 21, 1978, and

 

subsequently conveyed to a private owner and zoned commercial, the

 

clerk of the local governmental unit, in addition to the other

 

requirements of this section, shall request the assessor of the

 

assessing unit in which the facility is located or is to be located

 

to determine the state equalized valuation of the property. This

 

determination shall be made prior to the hearing on the application

 

for a commercial facilities exemption certificate held pursuant to

 

subsection (2).

 

     (4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, an owner

 

or lessee of a LEED certified facility, or another person with the

 

written approval of an owner or lessee, may file an application for

 

a commercial facilities exemption certificate with the clerk of the

 

local governmental unit within which the LEED certified facility is

 

located. If an exclusion of the state education tax is requested

 

under section 12a(2), a copy of the application shall be submitted

 

to the commission. The application may be for all or a portion, or

 

multiple portions, of a LEED certified facility. The application

 


shall be filed in the manner and form prescribed by the commission.

 

Until the commission prescribes the manner and form of application,

 

the owner or lessee of a LEED certified facility may apply under

 

this subsection by submitting information specified in this

 

subsection. The application shall contain or be accompanied by a

 

general description of the facility and a general description of

 

the use of the facility, the general nature and extent of the LEED

 

construction activities, including the activities that were or will

 

be conducted for the purpose of achieving LEED certification, and,

 

if the application is filed after LEED certification is obtained,

 

evidence of LEED certification. The local governmental unit shall

 

hold a public hearing on the application as provided in subsection

 

(2).

 

     Sec. 8. (1) Following approval of the application by the

 

legislative body of the local governmental unit, the clerk of the

 

local governmental unit shall issue to the applicant a commercial

 

facilities exemption certificate in the form the commission

 

determines which shall contain all of the following:

 

     (a) A legal description of the real property on which the

 

facility is or is to be located.

 

     (b) A statement that unless revoked as provided in this act

 

the certificate shall remain in force for the period stated in the

 

certificate.

 

     (c) In the case of a restored facility a statement of the

 

state equalized valuation of the obsolete commercial property,

 

separately stated for real and personal property, for the tax year

 

immediately preceding the effective date of the certificate after

 


deducting the state equalized valuation of the land and personal

 

property other than personal property assessed pursuant to section

 

14(6) of Act No. 206 of the Public Acts of 1893, as amended the

 

general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.14.

 

     (d) In the case of a LEED certified facility, the percentage

 

of property tax applicable to the facility pursuant to section 12.

 

     (2) A certificate shall not be issued under subsection (1) for

 

a LEED certified facility until the applicant has submitted

 

evidence of LEED certification to the local governmental unit,

 

along with information sufficient to determine the starting date of

 

LEED construction activities for purposes of calculating the

 

commercial facilities tax under section 12(4). The information

 

required under this subsection shall be submitted to the local

 

governmental unit no later than 5 years after the date the

 

certificate application is approved by the local governmental unit

 

or a greater time as authorized by the legislative body of the

 

local governmental unit.

 

     (3) (2) The effective date of the certificate shall be the

 

December 31 next following the date of issuance of the certificate.

 

     (4) (3) The clerk of the local governmental unit shall file

 

with the commission a copy of the commercial facilities exemption

 

certificate and the commission shall maintain a record of all

 

certificates filed.

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