Columbia County’s Empire Zone (EZ) covers designated areas in the County that offer special incentives to encourage economic development, business investment and job creation. EZ areas comprise abundant vacant land, existing prime industrial and commercial buildings, skilled workers and ample power and water resources.
The Empire Zone Program was established to accomplish the following:
• Encourage business to locate, start up and/or expand in targeted areas without jeopardizing other areas of the State;
• Revitalize economically distressed areas in large cities and small communities by stimulating private investment;
• Provide jobs, especially for unemployed and publicly assisted individuals and Zone residents; and,
• Reduce poverty, unemployment, public assistance and blighted conditions in the Zone areas.
Empire Zone Areas Offer Major Tax Breaks and Big Utility Savings
The New York State Empire Zone Program gives companies that are increasing their employment the opportunity to operate on an almost "tax-free" basis for up to 10 years in designated areas of the State. Additional savings may be available on a declining basis in years 11 through 15. As a Qualified Empire Zone Enterprise (QEZE), a business is eligible for a variety of tax credits that can be used to invest in the growth of the business. Other incentive and assistance programs may also be available.
E-Zone Incentives and Benefits
Qualified Empire Zone Enterprises (QEZEs) are eligible for all of the following sales tax exemptions and business tax credits:
QEZE Sales Tax Exemption on goods and services sold to a qualified Zone business. A company must register with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and be issued an exempt certificate, valid for ten years.
QEZE Credit for Real Property Taxes to be applied against business corporate taxes, personal income taxes, banking corporation taxes, or insurance corporation taxes. This credit is available for a 15-year period -- 10 years at 100%, decreasing 20% each year thereafter.
QEZE Tax Reduction Credit is applied against business corporate taxes, personal income taxes, banking corporation taxes, or insurance corporation taxes. The credit is computed by formula, based on the number of jobs created, the company’s assets in the Zone and in the state, and the income taxes owed by the company.
Wage Tax Credit (WTC) is available for up to five consecutive years for companies hiring full-time employees to newly created jobs.
EZ Investment Tax and Employment Incentives Credit (ITC-EIC): Businesses that create new jobs and make new investments in production, property and equipment may qualify for tax credits up to 19% of the company’s eligible investment.
New Business Refund: Businesses new to New York State are entitled to a 50% cash refund of unused EZ-WTC and ITC amounts. Other businesses may carry forward unused credits indefinitely.
Utility Rate Savings: Special reduced electric and gas rates may be available through investor-owned utilities in New York State.
Zone Capital Credit: A 25% tax credit against personal or corporate income taxes is available for a variety of investments in a certified Zone business.
Technical Assistance: Each local Zone office is staffed with a Zone Coordinator qualified to assist businesses locating or expanding in an Empire Zone area.
E-Zone Locations in Columbia County
The Columbia County Empire Zone covers several hundred acres -- from the banks of the Hudson River to outlying rural areas in the towns of Ghent, Claverack and Livingston. Each area offers distinct and varied possibilities for a wide array of commercial and industrial enterprises.
The Columbia County Commerce Park is ready and waiting to host companies that want to take advantage of the nurturing environment and ample resources of Columbia County.
Wrapped around the Columbia County Airport, the Columbia County Commerce Park offers sites for sale or lease in a variety of configurations. Parcels are scattered over 250 acres of rolling hills and pastures. The Park is fully serviced with municipal infrastructure and public utilities including underground electric and telephone cable. A UPS facility is close by, providing morning deliveries to businesses in the Commerce Park as early as 8 AM.
An expedited approval process has been established to facilitate new construction. The Commerce Park is zoned Business-Industrial and Business-Commercial. Because an overall environmental impact statement is in place, specific projects are subject only to limited review. Projects in the Park have gained approval in as little as 45 days.
The Columbia County Commerce Park sits directly in the center of regional economic activity. The Park is located between State Routes 66 and 9H. Albany is 35 minutes away -- New York City, two hours. Access to Interstate 87 (New York Thruway/Adirondack Northway) and Interstate 90 (Massachusetts Turnpike/New York State Thruway) is quick and easy. The Taconic State Parkway and Amtrak rail service to and from Hudson are additional gateways for passenger travel.
Current occupants of the Columbia County Commerce Park represent a diverse professional community:
· Bioforce USA
· Brick Tavern Concrete Products
· Cantele Tent Rentals & Monuments
· Columbia County News
· Columbia County Soil & Water Conservation District
· Doric Burial Vaults
· Fairfield County Recycling
· New York Rural Water Association
· Nielsen Concrete Foundations, Inc.
· USDA
· Weiss Industries
· West Ghent Fire Company
· Whittier Place Health Care
· Whittier Home for the Aged
The following businesses have received zoning approval:
· Adam Dreher Contracting
· Almstead Nurseries
· Almstead Tree Company
· Coney Island Auto Park
· County Outhouses & Septic Tank, Inc.
· McCagg Excavating Inc.
For more information on the Commerce Park or other real estate opportunities in Columbia County, please contact the Columbia Hudson Partnership at 518-828-4718, or e-mail us at Partner@chpartnership.com.
For a better look at the Empire Zone, check out the interactive Zone map on the web at www.columbiaezone.com. Select the Zone you would like to see, zoom in, scroll around, turn on and off roads, waterways and other features.
A few miles north of the Commerce Park on State Route 9H is the Falls Road Industrial Park, offering building sites for distribution and light manufacturing enterprises. In addition, several ready-to-occupy industrial buildings are available for sale or lease throughout the County.
The Columbia Hudson Partnership can help you identify the land or building that meets your business expansion needs. We are developing a database of all major commercial properties in the County, including turnkey building sites at the Columbia County Commerce Park. Watch this site for future additions.
Columbia County has nearly fifty country farm markets and orchards, many of them specializing in organic produce.
The Old Chatham Sheepherding Company is the largest sheep dairy farm in the United States.
Census/Demographics
The estimated population of the County is 63,668.
Hudson, once a busy port city frequented by whalers, is the Seat of Columbia County.
Arts & Culture
PS/21 - Performing Spaces for the 21st Century, is a new venue under the direction of Gwen Gould, offering classical sings under an open-air tent in Chatham. www.ps21chatham.org.
What's New
Migrant Farm Workers Get New Housing Through Innovative Program
Migrant workers on several farms in Columbia County are receiving new living quarters thanks to a unique program created by the Columbia Hudson Partnership.
