Enterprise Zone

This public/private partnership program provides a three-to five-year property tax abatement on new investments, in exchange for meeting job creation and other business requirements.

Enterprise zones are a development tool to incent industrial development, creating higher wage jobs and higher capital investments within the zone boundary.

State of Oregon requirements

To receive enterprise zone benefits, eligible businesses must meet these requirements:

Job creation

• Companies located inside or within 30 miles of the zone boundary must increase permanent full-time employment by 10%.
• Companies located 30 miles outside of the zone boundary within the State of Oregon must create at least one new full-time job and suffer no concurrent job losses in the State to qualify.
• Companies new to the State of Oregon must create at least one new full-time job.
• Companies may qualify for a special-case local sponsor waiver if they are investing more than $25 million or demonstrate a 10% productivity increase within the Gresham zone.

Maintain employment levels

During the exemption period, employment levels must be met. 

Enter into a First-Source Agreement

A First-Source Agreement with local job training providers is required, 

Gresham's requirements

In addition to state requirements, Gresham requires that qualified businesses meet these local criteria to receive enterprise zone benefits:

Minimum investment

A minimum $1 million investment is required to be eligible for the Gresham enterprise zone program.

Job quality

Zone facility full-time jobs will be required to meet a minimum quality level during the period of exemption.

Wages

Manufacturing firms (51% of revenue from production of a tangible good)

• Production occupations, average annual compensation (wages plus benefits) must exceed 150% of Portland metro minimum wage at time of application.
• All other facility positions, average annual compensation must exceed 200% of Portland Metro minimum wage. Top executive positions or top 5% of payroll shall be excluded from calculation. 

All other eligible uses (i.e., warehouse/distribution, e-commerce, fulfillment center, data center, etc.)

• Average annual compensation for facility jobs must exceed 200% of Portland metro minimum wage. Top executive positions or top 5% of payroll shall be excluded from calculation. Minimum wage rate at the time of application will apply throughout the entire exemption period.

Benefits

• Companies must provide non-mandated benefits to employees at an hourly value equal to or greater than 20% of average annual salary for all years of the exemption.

Community service fee

• Companies applying for an extended abatement of two additional years shall pay a community service fee in years four and five of the abatement period.
• Companies applying for the extended abatement and investing more than $25 million shall pay an extended community service fee in each year of the abatement period.

• The Community Service Fee is calculated at a rate of 25% of the abated taxes and is paid by the eligible business to the City of Gresham for economic development and job creation activities in the City.

Workforce development

Companies shall participate in workforce development activities in four categories:

• Growth opportunities for existing employees
• Local youth engagement
• Business to business support
• Local hiring activities

Procurement plan

Participating companies will be required to submit a procurement plan demonstrating a good faith effort to increase purchasing with Gresham companies. 

Business identity clause

A participating company shall make a good faith effort to communicate its business identity as a company located in Gresham.

Application fee

Applicants shall pay an application fee of one tenth of one percent (.001) of the value of the investment for qualified property estimated in the application, capped at $50,000.  

Boundary

See the boundary map of Gresham's enterprise zones.

Contact

For information about enterprise zone benefits or to obtain an application, contact Erika Fitzgerald, Interim Economic Development Manager, at 503-618-2504 or Erika.Fitzgerald@GreshamOregon.gov.