In accordance with the State of Georgia’s Enterprise Zone Employment Act of 1997, the City of Douglas has established five Enterprise Zones in the city to encourage revitalization and investment in the areas. Property owners, who apply for the incentive program and successfully achieve and maintain the criteria set by the program, may qualify for abatement of municipal ad valorem (property) taxes for a ten year period on business, commercial, and residential properties within the established Enterprise Zone geographic areas.
“We want to stimulate growth in these areas of Douglas that have seen distress or a decline in investment,” says Georgia Henderson, Community Development Director. “We are offering this program to help encourage property owners to devote investment into their properties which will help revitalized these areas in Douglas.”
The areas that have been designated as Enterprise Zones are identified as properties north of W. Irwin Street, south of W. Franklin and between N. Daughtry Avenue and N. Elk Street; properties north of W. Baker Hwy, south of W. Bryan Street, between S. Grady Avenue and S. Elk Street; properties north of Jackson Street, south of McNeil Dr., between N. Madison Avenue and N. Dewey Avenue; properties north of Pine Street, south of E. Ross Street, between S. Pearl Avenue and S. Gaskin Avenue; and properties north of E. Baker Hwy., south of Spooner Rd. between Lakeview Avenue and Lupo Lane. For a map on the Enterprise Zone areas, www.cityofdouglasga.gov.
The criteria that must be met in these areas are set specifically to job creation, land improvement, and EZ Approved Residential Property-Home Ownership Purchases. All criteria requirements are listed in detail on the Enterprise Zone Application for Incentives. For more information about the Douglas Enterprise Zones, please call the Community Development Office at (912)383-0277, email ghenderson@cityofdouglasga.gov, or visit www.cityofdouglasga.gov.