[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 88 (Friday, May 7, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 24668]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11506]



[[Page 24668]]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4281-N-09]


Notice of Designation of Urban Empowerment Zones

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and 
Development, HUD.

ACTION: Notice of designation of Urban Empowerment Zones.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: On April 16, 1998, HUD published a notice inviting 
applications for designation of Empowerment Zones, which receive 
special tax benefits for area businesses. This notice announces the 
fifteen urban areas designated as Empowerment Zones in response to the 
applications submitted. This notice also announces the names of fifteen 
other communities, called Strategic Planning Communities, that were 
finalists in the competition.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elaine Braverman, Empowerment Zone/
Enterprise Community Initiative, Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, Room 7130, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20410, 
telephone (202) 708-6339. (This telephone number is not toll-free.) For 
persons with hearing or speech disabilities, this telephone number may 
be accessed via TTY (text telephone) by calling the Federal Information 
Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 (toll-free).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The rule that governs the selection of this 
second round of urban Empowerment Zones (published on April 16, 1998 at 
63 FR 19151) is based on section 1391 of the Internal Revenue Code (26 
U.S.C. 1391), as amended by sections 952-954 of the Taxpayer Relief Act 
of 1997 (Pub. L. 105-34, 111 Stat. 788, enacted on August 5, 1997) (the 
1997 Act). Section 952 of the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 added a new 
section 1391(g), which changed the eligibility criteria for this second 
round of 20 Empowerment Zones. Fifteen of the new zones were to be in 
urban areas, designated by the Secretary of HUD, and five of them were 
to be in rural areas, designated by the Secretary of Agriculture. The 
Act expanded the eligibility criteria slightly, provided different tax 
incentives applicable to the new EZs, and made other changes affecting 
EZs, thus necessitating changes to the implementing regulations.
    The notice inviting applications from States and local governments 
for nomination of urban areas as Empowerment Zones also was published 
on April 16, 1998. That notice provided for an application deadline of 
October 9, 1998. HUD carefully considered all applications, and on 
January 13, 1999, Vice President Al Gore announced the urban areas that 
were designated by HUD as Empowerment Zones and the rural areas that 
were designated by the Department of Agriculture as rural Empowerment 
Zones. On that date, Vice President Gore also announced the fifteen 
communities, called Strategic Planning Communities, that were finalists 
in the competition.
    Appendix A to this notice lists the urban areas that HUD designated 
as urban Empowerment Zones. Appendix A to this notice also lists the 
communities, called Strategic Planning Communities, that were finalists 
in the competition.

    Authority: 26 U.S.C. 1391.

    Dated: April 30, 1999.
Cardell Cooper,
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development.

                               Appendix A
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   State                                City
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            Empowerment Zones
------------------------------------------------------------------------
California................................  Santa Ana.
Connecticut...............................  New Haven.
Florida...................................  Miami.
Indiana...................................  Gary/E. Chicago, Indiana.
Massachusetts.............................  Boston.
Minnesota.................................  Minneapolis.
Missouri..................................  St. Louis/E. St. Louis,
                                             Illinois.
New Jersey................................  Cumberland County.
Ohio......................................  Cincinnati.
Ohio......................................  Columbus.
South Carolina............................  Columbia/Sumter.
Tennessee.................................  Knoxville.
Texas.....................................  El Paso.
Virginia..................................  Norfolk/Portsmouth.
West Virginia.............................  Huntington, West Virginia/
                                             Ironton, Ohio.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      Strategic Planning Communities
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama...................................  Birmingham.
Alaska....................................  Anchorage.
Arkansas..................................  Little Rock/North Little
                                             Rock.
Kentucky..................................  Louisville.
Louisiana.................................  New Orleans.
Mississippi...............................  Jackson.
Missouri..................................  Kansas City/Kansas City
                                             Kansas.
New Jersey................................  Newark/Elizabeth.
New York..................................  New York City/Brooklyn.
Nevada....................................  Las Vegas/North Las Vegas.
Rhode Island..............................  Providence
South Carolina............................  Charleston/North Charleston.
Texas.....................................  San Antonio.
Vermont...................................  Burlington/Plattsburgh, New
                                             York.
Washington................................  Tacoma/Lakewood.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

[FR Doc. 99-11506 Filed 5-6-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-29-P