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LOUISIANA ENTERPRISE ZONE PROGRAM
Tax Incentives Technical Assistance

Louisiana Department of Economic Development (LED): The Enterprise Zone (EZ) Program is a JOBS incentive program which provides Louisiana Income and Franchise tax credits to a business hiring a minimum number of net new employees, 35% of these new jobs must be filled from one of four targeted groups. A business does not have to be investing money, just creating additional jobs. Because of the Jobs creation, Sales/Use Tax rebates may be available.

EZs are areas with high unemployment, low income, or a high percentage of residents receiving some form of public assistance. The Board of Commerce and Industry is responsible for approving these applications. The Department of Economic Development, Office of Business Development, Business Incentives Division administers this Program. (Text from LED Web site)
Louisiana Department of Economic Development: http://www.lded.state.la.us

For information on the Enterprise Zone Program: http://www.led.state.la.us/businessresources/enterprisezones.aspx

Note: This page has a link to a PDF file explaining how the Enterprise Zone Program works.

REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION (RPC) — Map Set

Louisiana Enterprise Zones Maps: Enterprise Zones Map Set, Prepared by the RPC, New Orleans Urbanized Area (Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parishes). Map Index

To Request Information on an Address: To request an address determination, census tract and block-group number, send an e-mail that includes the street address, zip code, town or city, and name of parish, to: Caitlin Cain, Economic Development Program Manager, ccain@norpc.org

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM PARISHES

ASSISTANCE FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY

Greater New Orleans, Inc. — The Regional Economic Alliance: Tommy J. Kurtz, CEcD, MPA, Senior Vice President, Jobs Development (504) 527-6943; http://www.gnoinc.org/

REGIONAL RESOURCES

Regional Planning Commission Economic Development Initiatives http://www.norpc.org/projects_programs/econ_development/econ_dev_about.html

Stay Local! – a project of the Urban Conservancy – grows attainable projects with tangible results while pushing for significant paradigm shifts in policy at city and regional levels. The organization reminds policymakers that economic development is not just about recruiting new business to the community, but enhancing what is already here and creating opportunity for local entrepreneurs.

Stay Local! succeeds by partnering with a sizeable network of local businesses, their advocates, and neighborhood organizations who share their vision. www.staylocal.org

Neighborhood Business Guides: To promote the patronage of locally owned businesses the Stay Local! has worked closely with community groups and other non-profits to create neighborhood business guides. These guides can be accessed at www.staylocal.org/biz/guides

Southeast Louisiana: Top 10 by 2010
Top 1O by 2O1O is a citizen-based effort to establish a broad vision for a healthy, vital region - economically, socially and environmentally in charting a new course for Southeast Louisiana.
(Text is from their Web site) http://www.top10by2010.org

New Orleans Region - The Idea Village
The Idea Village is a depot of talent and collaboration, created for innovators in New Orleans. It is a 501(c) (3) economic development organization whose mission is to ignite innovation by providing strategy, talent and resources to entrepreneurial ventures. Since 2002, we have engaged a powerful network of talented individuals committed to developing a vibrant entrepreneurial community in New Orleans. (Text is from their Web site) http://www.ideavillage.org/

PARISH/CITY RESOURCES

Jefferson/Orleans Renewal Community Program: Renewal Louisiana provides official information on renewal communities, maps of renewal communities, information on tax benefits and tax help, downloadable forms, meeting notices, contact lists, assistance, wage credit information, etc. Jefferson/Orleans RCP: http://www.renewallouisiana.com

JEDCO: The Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission is an independent and complementary arm of Jefferson Parish government, whose main objective is to enhance the business climate and foster progressive economic development within the parish. (Text from JEDCO Web site)

On Home Page, select: Strategic Planning/Jefferson Edge for the Jefferson Parish Five-Year Economic Development Plan, "The Jefferson EDGE." Or, you can use this link: http://www.jedco.org/Default.asp?PAGE_ID=11
JEDCO: http://www.jedco.org

City of New Orleans Economic Development Initiatives: Mayor's Office of Economic Development: http://new-orleans.la.us/home/departmentsAndAgencies/econDev/

To see if a New Orleans business is already located in the Renewal Community, you can do a Search on this page: http://online.new-orleans.la.us/rc_business/index.php

City of New Orleans: http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx

Committee for a Better New Orleans/Metropolitan Area Committee (CBNO/MAC)

The Committee for a Better New Orleans/Metropolitan Area Committee (CBNO/MAC) is a racially and culturally diverse group whose mission is to provide leadership and catalyze change toward the achievement of a Blueprint for a Better New Orleans. CBNO/MAC will accomplish its mission by providing and maintaining an advocacy role that encourages the kinds of partnership, collaboration and candid conversation that reflect the interests of the citizens of New Orleans. (Text is from their Web site) http://www.cbno.org

LOUISIANA RESOURCES

Louisiana Vision 2020 Plans for Economic Development (LED),
2003 Update: http://www.led.state.la.us/vision2020/index.htm

For an overview of this guide for economic renewal and diversification, you may want to read, Vision 2020 Executive Summary: http://www.led.state.la.us/secretary/vision2020/asp

Louisiana Department of Economic Development (LED):
http://www.lded.state.la.us

Renewal Louisiana: http://www.renewallouisiana.com

This is the Official Louisiana Renewal Community Information Web site. It provides maps of renewal communities, information on tax benefits and tax help, downloadable forms, meeting notices, contact lists, assistance, wage credit information, etc.

Louisiana Tax Incentives: http://www.lded.state.la.us

Select Business Resources (from top menu) which will take you to the Business Resources and Services page ( http://www.lded.state.la.us/businessresources/ ). This page provides a listing of General Business Assistance Information. Among the topics listed: Startup, Business Retention and Expanding; Financing and Grants; Government Contracts; State Business Incentive Programs. Individual Programs: At the left side of the page you will find links to Industrial Tax Exemption, Enterprise Zone, Restoration Tax Abatement, Incentive Workshop Schedule/Times/Places, etc.

Louisiana Workforce Development and Training Programs: This program provides funding for customized workforce training programs, if all qualifications are met, in order to improve the competitiveness and productivity of Louisiana's workforce and business community and to assist Louisiana businesses in promoting employment stability.
(Text is from their Website) http://www.lded.state.la.us/businessresources/workforcetraining.asp)

Louisiana State Asset Development Report Card: The State Asset Development Report Card (SADRC) is a groundbreaking tool that captures the most up-to-date data available on asset distribution and policy for each of the 50 states. The Report Card provides rich new data that has never before been available on a state-by-state basis. It considers 68 socioeconomic and policy measures to compare states on how assets are accumulated, distributed, and protected among their citizens. (Text is from their Web site) http://sadrc.cfed.org/)
For the ranking of Louisiana: http://sadrc.cfed.org/states/la.php

FEDERAL RESOURCES

US Economic Development Administration (EDA): http://www.eda.gov
Mission Statement (from EDA Web site): Enhance community success in attracting private capital investment and higher-skill, higher-wage job opportunities. Its mandate is to "generate jobs, help retain existing jobs, and stimulate industrial and commercial growth in economically-distressed areas of the United States. EDA assistance is available to rural and urban areas of the Nation experiencing high unemployment, low income, or other severe economic distress.

US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): http://www.hud.gov
Community Planning and Development, Community Renewal Initiative, for America's Renewal Communities, Urban Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities (RC/EZ/EC)
HUD Renewal Initiatives: http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/economicdevelopment/programs/rc/index.cfm


OTHER RESOURCES

RPC BROWNFIELDS

What Are Brownfields? With certain legal exclusions and additions, the term `brownfield site' means real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. (Text is from the US Environmental Protection Agency Web site) http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
EPA: http://www.epa.gov

For on-site information on the Regional Brownfields Redevelopment Initiative, and, WebBRIMS: Brownfield Redevelopment Initiative Initiative Management System (BRIMS), you may go to our Featured Projects page.

For Brownfield site redevelopment technical assistance, contact:
Orleans Parish: Rodney Littleton, Environmental Affairs (504) 565-8115
Jefferson Parish: Marnie Winters, Environmental Affairs (504) 736-6443
Plaquemines Parish: To Be Determined
St. Bernard Parish: Mike Hunnicutt, Planning and Zoning Department (504) 278-4308
St. Tammany Parish: Gibb Farrish, Comprehensive Planning (985) 875-2602
Regional Program: Rebecca Otte, Regional Planning Commission (504) 568-6622;
    Email: rotte@norpc.org