City Revitalization and Improvement Zone (CRIZ) guidelines to how the program is planned to operate.

1. Lancaster City Revitalization and
Improvement Zone Program
101

4. • Purpose of the Program
– Provide a financial resource to eligible third class
cities in the Commonwealth to improve and
develop targeted areas of the City
• Lancaster’s Approach
– To focus on infill development on vacant and
underutilized sites, and the redevelopment of
existing challenging sites within the City which
have some barrier to development.

5. • Program administration
– The City must create a CRIZ Authority under the
auspices of the Municipal Authorities Act to
administer the program
– The CRIZ Authority will establish the CRIZ Districts
• Up to 130 acres total can be included
– The CRIZ Authority will manage the program and
will be the entity that will issue bonds to provide
project financing

6. • Nominated CRIZ Board Members
– Tom Baldrige
– Dan Betancourt
– Jill Carson
– Ray D’Agostino
– Cinthia Kettering
– Robert Shoemaker
– Charles Simms
– Gerald Simmons
– John Reed
– Non-voting
• Matt Parido
• Randy Patterson

7. • Uses of bond proceeds
– Development or improvement of property within
the designated CRIZ
– Construction, including infrastructure and site
improvements to a site or facility within the CRIZ
– Improvement projects including the acquisition
and installation of furniture, fixtures and
equipment for a facility owned by a public
authority, such as the Convention Center

8. • Project Financing Focus
– The financing provided will primarily focus on
assisting projects that will:
• Create new jobs
• Create new state tax revenues including sales and use
taxes; personal income tax; wine, liquor and malt
beverage taxes; a number of State corporate and
business taxes; local earned income taxes and local
services taxes
– Property Taxes are not included and we would anticipate that
properties receiving CRIZ Assistance would not be eligible for
property tax abatement programs

9. • How does it work
– CRIZ Authority will issue bonds based on the expected
level of new State and local tax revenues that will be
generated by projects and existing businesses
– The State establishes a base year, let’s say 2013 for
Lancaster, to determine existing levels of revenue
generated within the CRIZ.
– All eligible revenues that exceed the level of revenues
generated in the base year are made available to the
CRIZ Authority for debt service

10. – This revenue is then held by the Commonwealth and
returned to the CRIZ Authority to cover the annual
debt service payments for bonds that have been
issued.
– Bonds can be issued over time with differing maturity
dates and in different dollar amounts needed to
finance projects being considered at the time.
– All bonds must be repaid within 30 years of
establishing the CRIZ.
– Matching funds must be provided in a ratio of no less
than five CRIZ dollars to every one private dollar
invested (no project will receive 100% of the financing
needed through the CRIZ)

11. • Limitations
– Eligible tax revenues generated by any existing
Pennsylvania business that transfers into the CRIZ
would not be considered new revenue, these
revenues are added to the baseline
– Businesses that are new businesses or relocating to
the CRIZ from outside of Pennsylvania are considered
new revenue
– For existing businesses in the CRIZ, only those
revenues generated that exceed the revenue
generated in the base year will be available to the
CRIZ Authority

12. • Examples
– Existing City, County or Pennsylvania business moves
into the Bulova Building. Only the revenue generated
by existing employees or new employees that exceeds
the revenue now generated by the business and its
employees will be available to the CRIZ Authority.
– An existing restaurant opens a second location in the
CRIZ. 100% of the eligible State and local tax revenue
generated will be available to the CRIZ Authority.

13. • How will projects be selected:
– All projects will be submitted to the CRIZ
Authority for review and selection
– Projects must be located within the designated
CRIZ areas (up to 130 acres of the City can be
designated)
– Most projects must be able to generate new state
tax revenue to support the level of financing being
provided

14. • Level of Financing that could be provided to a project:
– Financial assistance will be based on eligible new state and
local tax revenues that are generated by the project
– If insufficient revenues are projected then the remainder
of any financial assistance provided to a project would be
based on the projects ability to pay the debt service on the
loan
– Matching fund requirement will also determine total
amount of financing that could be provided
– CRIZ Authority may borrow against the baseline for the
first 7 years up to $10 million per year (this must be paid
back to the State over the 30 year life of the CRIZ Program)

15. • Timeline
– City Council will establish the CRIZ Authority in
October 2013
– The CRIZ Authority will be asked to approve the
application to the State seeking approval to establish
the CRIZ
• DCED is currently preparing program and application
guidelines
– The CRIZ Authority is expected to submit the
application before the end of the year which will
include the initial designation of the CRIZ districts

16. • Timeline
– DCED has 90 days to approve the application and
authorize the creation of the CRIZ
– Tax reports of all businesses located in the CRIZ must
be submitted to the State by June 2014
– Baseline tax revenues for 2013 will be certified by the
State before October 1, 2014
– The CRIZ Authority will then be in a position to issue
bonds knowing the baseline revenue
– Financial assistance for projects will be available late
2014, but more likely Spring of 2015

17. • Where we are today
– Mayor has announced who will be presented to City
Council to serve on the CRIZ Authority Board
– We are currently finalizing the CRIZ areas for the City
(the 130 acres)
– We are defining some of the initial projects that would
be financed
• Conestoga Plaza Commercial Project
• Convention Center FF&E
• Lancaster Square (east side) including the Bulova Building,
the plaza area, the Brunswick Hotel property and the Annex
buildings
• Aquatic Center

18. • Where we are today
– Pulling together property database information
that must be included in the application
– Developing a list of businesses that are located
within the CRIZ areas
– Developing an outreach and education program
for those businesses and properties owners
located within the CRIZ area
– Engaged a consultant to work with businesses on
reporting requirements

19. • Benefits to the City
– Ability to reposition and redevelop properties that
have sat vacant or underutilized for a significant
period of time, i.e. east side of Lancaster Square,
Conestoga Plaza, 800 block of North Prince Street
– Job growth and retention of existing jobs by providing
Class A and B commercial office space for new
businesses, relocating businesses or expanding
businesses
– Increase job opportunities within the City for City
residents through recruitment of businesses that
create professional job opportunities

20. • Benefits to the City
– An opportunity to recruit new businesses to the
City
– Equalize the economic advantages of developing
in the suburbs vs. the City
– Grow the property tax base through increased
assessment of properties that are redeveloped or
vacant sites where new construction occurs
– Grow earned income tax revenue over the long
term