Process

The property owner consults with the City Renaissance Zone Administrator and shall provide the following application information for review and approval by the City Zone Authority/City Council prior to any construction, renovation or rehabilitation of buildings and structures in the Zone. Each project must meet the goals, objectives and policies of the Renaissance Zone.

  1. Legal description and street address for the proposed project.
  2. Name and address of the current property owner(s) with Social Security Numbers(s).
  3. Name, address, phone and description of the business entity with Federal Tax ID Number.  
  4. Proof of ownership, lease or purchase agreement.      
  5. Current use of property.
  6. Square footage for the lot and each floor separately particularly if the applicant wishes to apply for state credit for historic buildings.
  7. A letter indicating consultation by the North Dakota Historical Society if there is a rehabilitation project for a historic building.
  8. List the type of investment the applicant wishes to undertake such as purchase (commercial only), purchase of an existing RZ project, purchase with rehabilitation, rehabilitation, new residential construction, new commercial construction or lease (commercial only).
  9. Date of transaction for the subject property especially for properties intended to be rehabilitated.
  10. Description of improvement including site plan, rehabilitation plan and timetable for project completion.
  11. Description of the scope of work, including a detailed cost estimate for the work to be completed.
  12. Estimate of the value of the building upon completion of project.
  13. Documentation of the project costs for rehabilitation projects.
  14. A letter of credit from bank or financial institution.
  15. Evidence that the applicant is current on state and local taxes and a certificate of Good Standing from the State Tax Commissioner and proof of payment of local real estate taxes.

The City Renaissance Zone Administrator will review the submitted documents to make a determination of eligibility for making recommendations to the Zone Authority/City Council for partial or full property tax exemption. Meetings of the Zone Authority/City Council are open to the public and applicant is encouraged to attend.

When the Council determines that the project is eligible as a Renaissance Zone project, the RZ Coordinator will be instructed to forward the application and supporting documentation to the Department of Community Services (DCS) for final approval.

The RZ Coordinator will notify the property owner when final approval is received from the DCS. The project cannot proceed until final DCS approval is received. If the DCS does not approve the project, the RZ Coordinator will determine why the application is deficient and consult with the property owner to determine if such deficiency can be corrected.