HOUSE BILL No. 5285

 

September 2, 2009, Introduced by Reps. Tyler, Walsh, Clemente, Denby, Lori, Proos, Opsommer, DeShazor, Paul Scott, Ball, Crawford, Rocca, Hansen, Pavlov, Pearce, Moss, Kowall, Rick Jones, Haveman, Schuitmaker, Genetski, Knollenberg, Meltzer, Rogers, Segal, Kandrevas, Wayne Schmidt, Barnett, Roy Schmidt, Geiss, Horn and Neumann and referred to the Committee on New Economy and Quality of Life.

 

     A bill to amend 2005 PA 210, entitled

 

"Commercial rehabilitation act,"

 

by amending section 2 (MCL 207.842), as amended by 2008 PA 500.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 2. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Commercial property" means land improvements classified

 

by law for general ad valorem tax purposes as real property

 

including real property assessable as personal property pursuant to

 

sections 8(d) and 14(6) of the general property tax act, 1893 PA

 

206, MCL 211.8 and 211.14, the primary purpose and use of which is

 

the operation of a commercial business enterprise or multifamily

 

residential use. Commercial property shall also include facilities

 

related to a commercial business enterprise under the same

 

ownership at that location, including, but not limited to, office,

 


engineering, research and development, warehousing, parts

 

distribution, retail sales, and other commercial activities.

 

Commercial property also includes a building or group of contiguous

 

buildings previously used for industrial purposes that will be

 

converted to the operation of a commercial business enterprise.

 

Commercial property does not include any of the following:

 

     (i) Land.

 

     (ii) Property of a public utility.

 

     (b) "Commercial rehabilitation district" or "district" means

 

an area not less than 3 acres in size of a qualified local

 

governmental unit established as provided in section 3. However, if

 

the commercial rehabilitation district is located in a downtown or

 

business area or contains a qualified retail food establishment, as

 

determined by the legislative body of the qualified local

 

governmental unit, the district may be less than 3 acres in size.

 

     (c) "Commercial rehabilitation exemption certificate" or

 

"certificate" means the certificate issued under section 6.

 

     (d) "Commercial rehabilitation tax" means the specific tax

 

levied under this act.

 

     (e) "Commission" means the state tax commission created by

 

1927 PA 360, MCL 209.101 to 209.107.

 

     (f) "Department" means the department of treasury.

 

     (g) "Multifamily residential use" means multifamily housing

 

consisting of 5 or more units.

 

     (h) "Qualified facility" means a qualified retail food

 

establishment or a building or group of contiguous buildings of

 

commercial property that is 15 years old or older or has been

 


allocated for a new markets tax credit under section 45d 45D of the

 

internal revenue code, 26 USC 45d 45D. Qualified facility also

 

includes vacant property located in a city with a population of

 

more than 36,000 and less than 37,000 according to the 2000 federal

 

decennial census and from which a previous structure has been

 

demolished and on which commercial property will be newly

 

constructed a building or a group of contiguous buildings, a

 

portion of a building or group of contiguous buildings previously

 

used for commercial or industrial purposes, obsolete industrial

 

property, and vacant property which, within the immediately

 

preceding 15 years, was commercial property as defined in

 

subdivision (a). A qualified facility does not include property

 

that is to be used as a professional sports stadium. A qualified

 

facility does not include property that is to be used as a casino.

 

As used in this subdivision, "casino" means a casino or a parking

 

lot, hotel, motel, or retail store owned or operated by a casino,

 

an affiliate, or an affiliated company, regulated by this state

 

pursuant to the Michigan gaming control and revenue act, 1996 IL 1,

 

MCL 432.201 to 432.226.

 

     (i) "Qualified local governmental unit" means a city, village,

 

or township.

 

     (j) "Qualified retail food establishment" means property that

 

meets all of the following:

 

     (i) The property will be used primarily as a retail

 

supermarket, grocery store, produce market, or delicatessen that

 

offers unprocessed USDA-inspected meat and poultry products or meat

 

products that carry the USDA organic seal, fresh fruits and

 


vegetables, and dairy products for sale to the public.

 

     (ii) The property meets 1 of the following:

 

     (A) Is located in a qualified local governmental unit that is

 

also located in a qualified local governmental unit as defined in

 

section 2 of the obsolete property rehabilitation act, 2000 PA 146,

 

MCL 125.2782, and is located in an underserved area.

 

     (B) Is located in a qualified local governmental unit that is

 

designated as rural as defined by the United States census bureau

 

and is located in an underserved area.

 

     (iii) The property was used as residential, commercial, or

 

industrial property as allowed and conducted under the applicable

 

zoning ordinance for the immediately preceding 30 years.

 

     (k) "Rehabilitation" means changes to a qualified facility

 

that are required to restore or modify the property, together with

 

all appurtenances, to an economically efficient condition.

 

Rehabilitation includes major renovation and modification

 

including, but not necessarily limited to, the improvement of floor

 

loads, correction of deficient or excessive height, new or improved

 

fixed building equipment, including heating, ventilation, and

 

lighting, reducing multistory facilities to 1 or 2 stories,

 

improved structural support including foundations, improved roof

 

structure and cover, floor replacement, improved wall placement,

 

improved exterior and interior appearance of buildings, and other

 

physical changes required to restore or change the property to an

 

economically efficient condition. Rehabilitation for a qualified

 

retail food establishment also includes new construction.

 

Rehabilitation also includes new construction on vacant property

 


from which a previous structure has been demolished and if the new

 

construction is an economic benefit to the local community as

 

determined by the qualified local governmental unit. Rehabilitation

 

shall not include improvements aggregating less than 10% of the

 

true cash value of the property at commencement of the

 

rehabilitation of the qualified facility.

 

     (l) "Taxable value" means the value determined under section

 

27a of the general property tax act, 1893 PA 206, MCL 211.27a.

 

     (m) "Underserved area" means an area determined by the

 

Michigan department of agriculture that contains a low or moderate

 

income census tract and a below average supermarket density, an

 

area that has a supermarket customer base with more than 50% living

 

in a low income census tract, or an area that has demonstrated

 

significant access limitations due to travel distance.