N.J. Admin. Code § 19:31Q-1.2

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 24, December 18, 2024
Section 19:31Q-1.2 - Definitions

The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

"Act" means the Grow New Jersey Assistance Program Act, P.L. 2011, c. 149.

"Affiliate" means an entity that directly or indirectly controls, is under common control with, or is controlled by the business. Control exists in all cases in which the entity is a member of a controlled group of corporations as defined pursuant to section 1563 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. § 1563) or the entity is an organization in a group of organizations under common control as defined pursuant to subsection (b) or (c) of section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. § 414) . A taxpayer may establish by clear and convincing evidence, as determined by the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury, that control exists in situations involving lesser percentages of ownership than required by those statutes. An affiliate of a business may contribute to meeting either the qualified investment or full-time employee requirements of a business that applies for a credit under section 3 of P.L. 2007, c. 346 (N.J.S.A. 34:1B-209).

"Authority" means the New Jersey Economic Development Authority established by section 4 of P.L. 1974, c. 80 (N.J.S.A. 34:1B-4 et seq.).

"Aviation district" means the area within a one-mile radius of the outermost boundary of the "Atlantic City International Airport," established pursuant to section 24 of P.L. 1991, c. 252 (N.J.S.A. 27:25A-24).

"Board" means the Board of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

"Business" means an applicant proposing to own or lease premises, or that has acquired the premises within 24 months prior to project application, in a qualified business facility that is: a corporation that is subject to the tax imposed pursuant to section 5 of P.L. 1945, c. 162 (N.J.S.A. 54:10A-5), a corporation that is subject to the tax imposed pursuant to sections 2 and 3 of P.L. 1945, c. 132 (N.J.S.A. 54:18A-2 and 54:18A-3), section 1 of P.L. 1950, c. 231 (N.J.S.A. 17:32-15) or N.J.S.A. 17B:23-5, or is a partnership, an S corporation, or a limited liability company or a non-profit corporation. If the business or tenant is a cooperative or part of a cooperative, then the cooperative may qualify for credits by counting the full-time employees and capital investments of its member organizations, and the cooperative may distribute credits to its member organizations. If the business or tenant is a cooperative that leases to its member organizations, the lease shall be treated as a lease to an affiliate or affiliates. In connection with a regional distribution facility of foodstuffs, the business entity or entities that own or lease such facility shall qualify as a business regardless of the type of the business entity or entities that own or lease such facility; the ownership or leasing of such facility by more than one business entity; or the ownership of the business entity or entities that own or lease such facility. Such ownership or leasing, whether by members, shareholders, partners, or other owners of the business entity or entities, shall be treated as ownership or leasing by affiliates. Such members, shareholders, partners, or other ownership or leasing participants and others that are tenants in the facility shall be treated as affiliates for the purpose of counting the full-time employees and capital investments in the facility. For the purposes of a regional distribution facility of foodstuffs, leasing shall include subleasing and tenants shall include subtenants. A business shall include an affiliate of the business if that business applies for a credit based upon any capital investment made by or full-time employees of an affiliate. After approval by the Board of the incentive, a business shall include a successor, as determined by the Authority in its sole discretion, to the business and a successor, as determined by the Authority in its sole discretion, to an affiliate of the business if the business applied for a credit based upon any capital investment made by or full-time employees of the affiliate, provided any successor must execute the incentive agreement, which shall include: the obligation to not reduce the number of full-time employees in the successor's Statewide employment in the last tax period prior to the approval of the award; an agreement that all parties to the incentive agreement are jointly and severally liable under the incentive agreement; and an acknowledgment that the tax credit will be allocated to each party to the incentive agreement in accordance with the number of full-time employees that each employs at the qualified business facility.

"Capital investment" in a qualified business facility means expenses by a business or any affiliate of the business incurred after application for: site preparation and construction, repair, renovation, improvement, equipping, or furnishing on real property or of a building, structure, facility, or improvement to real property; obtaining and installing furnishings and machinery, apparatus, or equipment, including, but not limited to, material goods subject to bonus depreciation under sections 168 and 179 of the Federal Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. §§ 168 and 179), for the operation of a business on real property in a building, structure, facility, or improvement to real property, including associated soft costs; and receiving Highlands Development Credits under the Highlands Transfer Development Rights Program authorized pursuant to section 13 of P.L. 2004, c. 120 (N.J.S.A. 13:20-13); or any of the preceding. Capital investment includes obtaining and installing furnishings and machinery, apparatus, or equipment for the operation of a business in a building, structure, facility, or improvement to real property, site-related utility and transportation infrastructure improvements, plantings, or other environmental components required to attain the level of silver rating or above in the LEED building rating system, but only to the extent that such capital investments have not received any grant financial assistance from any other State funding source including N.J.S.A. 52:27H-80 et seq. (The United States Green Building Council has developed the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System for measuring the energy efficiency and environmental sustainability of buildings. The LEED Rating System is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance buildings.) Vehicles and heavy equipment not permanently located in the building, structure, facility, or improvement shall not constitute a capital investment. Also included is remediation of the qualified business facility, but only to the extent that such remediation has not received financial assistance from any other Federal, State, or local funding source. In a Garden State Growth Zone, the following qualify as a capital investment: any development, redevelopment, and relocation costs, including, but not limited to, site acquisition if made within 24 months of application to the Authority, engineering, legal, accounting, and other professional services required; and relocation, environmental remediation, and infrastructure improvements for the project area, including, but not limited to, on- and off-site utility, road, pier, wharf, bulkhead, or sidewalk construction or repair. A business that acquires or leases a qualified business facility shall also be deemed to have acquired the capital investment made or acquired by the seller or landlord if pertaining primarily to the premises of the qualified business facility, and, if pertaining generally to the qualified business facility being acquired or leased, shall be allocated to the premises of the qualified business facility on the basis of the gross leasable area of the premises in relation to the total gross leasable area in the qualified business facility. The capital investment described in this definition may include any capital investment made or acquired within 24 months prior to the date of application, so long as the amount of capital investment made or acquired by the business, any affiliate of the business, or any owner after the date of application equals at least 50 percent of the amount of capital investment, allocated to the premises of the qualified business facility being acquired or leased on the basis of the gross leasable area of the premises in relation to the total gross leasable area in the qualified business facility made or acquired prior to the date of application.

"College or university" means a county college, an independent institution of higher education, a public research university, or a State college.

"Commitment period" means the period of time that is 1.5 times the eligibility period.

"Complex of buildings" means buildings that are part of the same financing plan and operational plan.

"County college" means an educational institution established by one or more counties, pursuant to Chapter 64A of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

"Deep poverty pocket" means a population census tract having a poverty level of 20 percent or more, and which is located within the qualified incentive area.

"Disaster recovery project" means a project located on property that has been wholly or substantially damaged or destroyed as a result of a Federally declared disaster which, after utilizing all disaster funds available from Federal, State, county, and local funding sources, demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Authority that access to additional funding authorized pursuant to the New Jersey Economic Opportunity Act of 2013, P.L. 2013, c. 161, is necessary to complete the redevelopment project, and which is located within the qualified incentive area.

"Distressed municipality" means a municipality that is qualified to receive assistance under P.L. 1978, c. 14 (N.J.S.A. 52:27D-178 et seq.), a municipality under the supervision of the Local Finance Board pursuant to the provisions of the Local Government Supervision Act (1947), P.L. 1947, c. 151 (N.J.S.A. 52:27BB-1 et seq.), a municipality identified by the Director of the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs to be facing serious fiscal distress, an SDA municipality, or a municipality in which a major rail station is located.

"Doctoral university" means a university located within New Jersey that is classified as a doctoral university under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education's Basic Classification methodology on August 7, 2017, the effective date of P.L. 2017, c. 221.

"Eligibility period" means the period in which a business may claim a tax credit under the Grow New Jersey Assistance Program, beginning with the tax period in which the Authority accepts certification of the business that it has met the capital investment and employment requirements of the Grow New Jersey Assistance Program and extending thereafter for a term of not more than 10 years, with the term to be determined solely at the discretion of the applicant, at the time of approval.

"Eligible position" or "full-time job" means a full-time position in a business in this State that the business has filled with a full-time employee. To be eligible as an eligible position or full-time job, the employee must have his or her primary office at the qualified business facility and must spend at least 80 percent of his or her time at the qualified business facility, or spend any other period of time generally accepted by custom or practice as full-time employment at the qualified business facility, as determined by the Authority in its sole discretion based on the characteristics of the employee's job and time at the facility, including, but not limited to, the amount of continuous time spent at the facility and the economic impact of the employee on the area in which the facility is located. For example, a reduced period of time is not applicable to a truck driver or salesperson who does not regularly contribute to the local economy due to the transient nature of his or her job responsibilities at the qualified business facility.

"Full-time employee" means a person: who is employed by a business for consideration for at least 35 hours a week, or who renders any other standard of service generally accepted by custom or practice as full-time employment, or who is employed by a professional employer organization pursuant to an employee leasing agreement between the business and the professional employer organization, in accordance with P.L. 2001, c. 260 (N.J.S.A. 34:8-67 et seq.) for at least 35 hours a week, or who renders any other standard of service generally accepted by custom or practice as full-time employment, and whose wages are subject to withholding as provided in the New Jersey Gross Income Tax Act, N.J.S.A. 54A:1-1 et seq., or who is a resident of another state but whose income is not subject to the New Jersey Gross Income Tax Act, N.J.S.A. 54A:1-1 et seq., or who is a partner of a business who works for the partnership for at least 35 hours a week, or who renders any other standard of service generally accepted by custom or practice as full-time employment, and whose distributive share of income, gain, loss, or deduction, or whose guaranteed payments, or any combination thereof, is subject to the payment of estimated taxes, as provided in the New Jersey Gross Income Tax Act, N.J.S.A. 54A:1-1 et seq., and who, except for purposes of the Statewide workforce, is provided, by the business, with employee health benefits under a health benefits plan authorized pursuant to State or Federal law. With respect to a logistics, manufacturing, energy, defense, aviation, or maritime business, excluding primarily warehouse or distribution operations, located in a port district having a container terminal: the requirement that employee health benefits are to be provided shall be deemed to be satisfied if the benefits are provided in accordance with industry practice by a third party obligated to provide such benefits pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement; full-time employment shall include, but not be limited to, employees that have been hired by way of a labor union hiring hall or its equivalent; 35 hours of employment per week at a qualified business facility shall constitute one "full-time employee," regardless of whether or not the hours of work were performed by one or more persons. For any project located in a Garden State Growth Zone that qualifies under the Municipal Rehabilitation and Economic Recovery Act, P.L. 2002, c. 43 (N.J.S.A. 52:27BBB-1 et seq.), or any project located in the Atlantic City Tourism District as established pursuant to section 5 of P.L. 2011, c. 18 (N.J.S.A. 5:12-219) and regulated by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, and which will include a retail facility of at least 150,000 square feet, of which at least 50 percent will be occupied by either a full-service supermarket or grocery store, 30 hours of employment per week at a qualified business facility shall constitute one "full-time employee," regardless of whether the hours of work were performed by one or more persons, and the requirement that employee health benefits are to be provided shall be deemed to be satisfied if the employees of the business are covered by a collective bargaining agreement. "Full-time employee" shall not include any person who works as an independent contractor or on a consulting basis for the business. Full-time employee shall also not include any person who at the time of project application works in New Jersey for consideration for at least 35 hours per week, or who renders any other standard of service generally accepted by custom or practice as full-time employment but who prior to project application was not provided, by the business, with employee health benefits under a health benefits plan authorized pursuant to State or Federal law.

"Garden State Create Zone" means the campus of a doctoral university and the area within a three-mile radius of the outermost boundary of the campus of a doctoral university, according to a map appearing in the doctoral university's official catalog or other official publication on August 7, 2017, the effective date of P.L. 2017, c. 221.

"Garden State Growth Zone" or "growth zone" means the four New Jersey cities with the lowest median family income based on the 2009 American Community Survey from the U.S. Census, (Table 708. Household, Family, and Per Capita Income and Individuals, and Families Below Poverty Level by City: 2009); or a municipality which contains a Tourism District as established pursuant to section 5 of P.L. 2011, c. 18 (N.J.S.A. 5:12-219) and regulated by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority.

"Grow New Jersey tax credit transferee" or "tax credit transferee" means if the business transfers its tax credits, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 19:31Q-18.13, the purchaser of the tax credits, including any subsequent purchasers of the tax credits.

"Highlands development credit receiving area or redevelopment area" means an area located within a qualified incentive area and designated by the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council for the receipt of Highlands Development Credits under the Highlands Transfer of Development Rights Program authorized pursuant to section 13 of P.L. 2004, c. 120 (N.J.S.A. 13:20-13).

"Incentive agreement" means the contract between the business and the Authority, which sets forth the terms and conditions under which the business shall be eligible to receive the incentives authorized pursuant to the Program.

"Incentive effective date" means the date the Authority issues a tax credit based on documentation submitted by a business pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection b. of section 6 of P.L. 2011, c. 149 (N.J.S.A. 34:1B-247).

"Independent institution of higher education" means a college or university incorporated and located in New Jersey, which by virtue of law or character or license is a nonprofit educational institution authorized to grant academic degrees and which provides a level of education that is equivalent to the education provided by the State's public institutions of higher education, as attested by the receipt of and continuation of regional accreditation by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and which is eligible to receive State aid under the provisions of the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey, but does not include any educational institution dedicated primarily to the education or training of ministers, priests, rabbis, or other professional persons in the field of religion.

"Industrial premises" or "industrial space" means premises or space in which at least 51 percent of the square footage will be or has been used for the assembling, processing, and/or manufacturing of finished or partially finished products from materials or fabricated parts, including, but not limited to, factories or as a warehouse if the business uses the warehouse as part of the chain of distribution for products assembled, processed, and/or manufactured by the business at the qualified business facility; for the breaking or demolishing of finished or partially finished products; or for the production of oil or gas or the generation or transformation of electricity.

"Industrial use" means assembling, processing, and/or manufacturing of finished or partially finished products from materials or fabricated parts; the breaking or demolishing of finished or partially finished products; or the production of oil or gas or the generation or transformation of electricity, and including farming purposes as that term is defined under IRC section 6420(c)(3)(A), undertaken in an industrial space.

"Major rail station" means a railroad station located within a qualified incentive area that provides access to the public to a minimum of six rail passenger service lines operated by the New Jersey Transit Corporation.

"Mega project" means:

1. A qualified business facility located in a port district housing a business in the logistics, manufacturing, energy, defense, or maritime industries, either:

i. Having a capital investment in excess of $ 20,000,000, and at which more than 250 full-time employees of the business are created or retained; or

ii. At which more than 1,000 full-time employees of the business are created or retained;

2. A qualified business facility located in an aviation district housing a business in the aviation industry, in a Garden State Growth Zone, or in a priority area housing the United States headquarters and related facilities of an automobile manufacturer, either:

i. Having a capital investment in excess of $ 20,000,000, and at which more than 250 full-time employees of the business are created or retained; or

ii. At which more than 1,000 full-time employees of the business are created or retained;

3. A qualified business facility located in an urban transit hub housing a business of any kind, having a capital investment in excess of $ 50,000,000, and at which more than 250 full-time employees of the business are created or retained;

4. A project located in an area designated in need of redevelopment, pursuant to P.L. 1992, c. 79 (N.J.S.A. 40A:12A-1 et seq.), prior to the enactment of P.L. 2014, c. 63, within Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, or Salem counties, having capital investment in excess of $ 20,000,000, and at which more than 150 full-time employees of the business are created or retained; or

5. For applications submitted after July 1, 2016, a qualified business facility primarily used by a business principally engaged in research, development, or manufacture of a drug or device, as defined in N.J.S.A. 24:1-1, or primarily used by a business licensed to conduct a clinical laboratory and business facility pursuant to the "New Jersey Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act," P.L. 1975, c. 166 (N.J.S.A. 45:9-42.26 et seq.), either:

i. Having a capital investment in excess of $ 20,000,000, and at which more than 250 full-time employees of the business are created or retained; or

ii. At which more than 1,000 full-time employees of the business are created or retained.

"Minimum environmental and sustainability standards" means the standards set forth in the green building manual prepared by the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs pursuant to section 1 of P.L. 2007, c. 132 (N.J.S.A. 52:27D-130.6), regarding the use of renewable energy, energy-efficient technology, and non-renewable resources in order to reduce environmental degradation and encourage long-term cost reduction.

"Moderate-income housing" means housing affordable, according to United States Department of Housing and Urban Development or other recognized standards for home ownership and rental costs, and occupied or reserved for occupancy by households with a gross household income equal to more than 50 percent but less than 80 percent of the median gross household income for households of the same size within the housing region in which the housing is located.

"Municipal Revitalization Index" means the 2007 index by the Office for Planning Advocacy within the Department of State measuring or ranking municipal distress.

"New full-time job" means an eligible position created by the business at the qualified business facility that did not previously exist in this State. For the purposes of determining a number of new full-time jobs, the eligible positions of an affiliate shall be considered eligible positions of the business.

"Non-gaming business" means any business, or portion of any business, which is not engaged in the operation of casino gambling or other gaming as defined in N.J.S.A. 5:12-218. For projects that contain both gaming and non-gaming operations, the number of full-time jobs and amounts of eligible capital investment shall be apportioned based on the proportionate revenue from all non-gaming revenue compared to total revenue, for example, if gaming revenue is 40 percent of total revenue, then 60 percent of the full-time employees would be deemed non-gaming and in an eligible position for the program.

"Other eligible area" means the portions of the qualified incentive area that are not located within a distressed municipality, or the priority area.

"Partnership" means an entity classified as a partnership for Federal income tax purposes.

"Port district" means the portions of a qualified incentive area that are located within: the Port of New York District of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as defined in Article II of the Compact Between the States of New York and New Jersey of 1921; or a 15-mile radius of the outermost boundary of each marine terminal facility established, acquired, constructed, rehabilitated, or improved by the South Jersey Port District established pursuant to The South Jersey Port Corporation Act, P.L. 1968, c. 60 (N.J.S.A. 12:11A-1 et seq.).

"Priority area" means the portions of the qualified incentive area that are not located within a distressed municipality and which: are designated pursuant to the State Planning Act, P.L. 1985, c. 398 (N.J.S.A. 52:18A-196 et seq.), as Planning Area 1 (Metropolitan), Planning Area 2 (Suburban), a designated center under the State Development and Redevelopment Plan, or a designated growth center in an endorsed plan until June 30, 2013, or until the State Planning Commission revises and readopts New Jersey's State Strategic Plan and adopts regulations to revise this definition; intersect with portions of a deep poverty pocket, a port district, or were Federally owned land approved for closure under a Federal Commission on Base Realignment and Closure action; are the proposed site of a disaster recovery project, a qualified incubator facility, a highlands development credit receiving area or redevelopment area, a tourism destination project, or transit oriented development; or contain a vacant commercial building having over 400,000 square feet of office, laboratory, or industrial space available for occupancy for a period of over one year; or a site that has been negatively impacted by the approval of a "qualified business facility," as defined pursuant to section 2 of P.L. 2007, c. 346 (N.J.S.A. 34:1B-208).

"Professional employer organization" means an employee leasing company registered with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development pursuant to P.L. 2001, c. 260 (N.J.S.A. 34:8-67 et seq.).

"Program" means the Grow New Jersey Assistance Program established pursuant to P.L. 2011, c. 149 and provided in this subchapter.

"Project" means the capital investment and the employment commitment at a qualified business facility pursuant to the incentive agreement.

"Public research university" means a public research university as defined in section 3 of P.L. 1994, c. 48 (N.J.S.A. 18A:3B-3).

"Qualified business facility" means any building, complex of buildings, or structural components of buildings, and all machinery and equipment located within a qualified incentive area, used in connection with the operation of a business that is not engaged in final point of sale retail business at that location, which shall not include a university research hospital, unless the building, complex of buildings, or structural components of buildings, and all machinery and equipment located within a qualified incentive area, are used in connection with the operation of: a final point of sale retail business located in a Garden State Growth Zone that will include a retail facility of at least 150,000 square feet, of which at least 50 percent is occupied by either a full service supermarket or grocery store; or a tourism destination project located in the Atlantic City Tourism District as established pursuant to section 5 of P.L. 2011, c. 18 (N.J.S.A. 5:12-219).

"Qualified incentive area" means an aviation district, a port district, a distressed municipality, urban transit hub municipality, or an area:

1. Designated as Planning Area 1 (Metropolitan), Planning Area 2 (Suburban), or Planning Area 3 (Fringe Planning Area), pursuant to the State Planning Act, P.L. 1985, c. 398 (N.J.S.A. 52:18A-196 et seq.); or

2. Located within:

i. A smart growth area and planning area designated in a master plan adopted by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission pursuant to subsection (i) of section 6 of P.L. 1968, c. 404 (N.J.S.A. 13:17-6) or subject to a redevelopment plan adopted by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission pursuant to section 20 of P.L. 1968, c. 404 (N.J.S.A. 13:17-21);

ii. Any land owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, established pursuant to P.L. 1971, c. 137 (N.J.S.A. 5:10-1 et seq.), within the boundaries of the Hackensack Meadowlands District as delineated in section 4 of P.L. 1968, c. 404 (N.J.S.A. 13:17-4), including the sports complex, that is, the 750-acre sports and exposition site located in the Borough of East Rutherford under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority as of the effective date of P.L. 2015, c. 19 (N.J.S.A. 5:10A-1 et seq.) and such additional property that is owned and controlled by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority as may be designated by the Meadowlands Regional Commission, as established by P.L. 1971, c. 137 (N.J.S.A. 5:10-1 et seq.), P.L. 1968, c. 404 (N.J.S.A. 13:17-1 et seq.), and section 6 of P.L. 2015, c. 19 (N.J.S.A. 5:10A-6) from time to time as part of the sports complex;

iii. A regional growth area, a rural development area zoned for industrial use as of December 15, 2016, the effective date of P.L. 2016, c. 75, a town, a village, or a military and Federal installation area designated in the comprehensive management plan prepared and adopted by the Pinelands Commission pursuant to the Pinelands Protection Act, P.L. 1979, c. 111 (N.J.S.A. 13:18A-1 et seq.);

iv. The planning area of the Highlands Region as defined in section 3 of P.L. 2004, c. 120 (N.J.S.A. 13:20-3) or in a highlands development credit receiving area or redevelopment area;

v. A Garden State Growth Zone;

vi. Land approved for closure under any Federal Commission on Base Realignment and Closure action; or

vii. Areas designated pursuant to the State Planning Act, P.L. 1985, c. 398 (N.J.S.A. 52:18A-196 et seq.), as Planning Area 4A (Rural Planning Area), Planning Area 4B (Rural/Environmentally Sensitive), or Planning Area 5 (Environmentally Sensitive) only if such areas are located within:

(1) A designated center under the State Development and Redevelopment Plan;

(2) A designated growth center in an endorsed plan until the State Planning Commission revises and readopts New Jersey's State Strategic Plan and adopts rules to revise this definition as it pertains to Statewide planning areas;

(3) Any area determined to be in need of redevelopment pursuant to sections 5 and 6 of P.L. 1992, c. 79 (N.J.S.A. 40A:12A-5 and 40A:12A-6) or in need of rehabilitation pursuant to section 14 of P.L. 1992, 40 c. 79 (N.J.S.A. 40A:12A-14);

(4) Any area on which a structure exists or previously existed, including any desired expansion of the footprint of the existing or previously existing structure, provided the expansion otherwise complies with all applicable Federal, State, county, and local permits and approvals;

(5) The planning area of the Highlands Region as defined in section 3 of P.L. 2004, c. 120 (N.J.S.A. 13:20-3) or a highlands development credit receiving area or redevelopment area; or

(6) Any area on which an existing tourism destination project is located.

"Qualified incentive area" shall not include any property located within the preservation area of the Highlands Region as defined in section 3 of P.L. 2004, c. 120 (N.J.S.A. 13:20-3).

"Qualified incubator facility" means a commercial building located within a qualified incentive area: that contains 50,000 or more square feet of office, laboratory, or industrial space; that is located near, and presents opportunities for collaboration with a research institution, teaching hospital, college, or university, which is evidenced by a written agreement that demonstrates this collaboration; and within which, at least 50 percent of the gross leasable area is restricted for use by one or more technology startup companies during the commitment period. The restricted space may be comprised of non-contiguous areas, and its location within the qualified incubator facility may change from time to time.

"Retained full-time job" means an eligible position that currently exists in New Jersey and is filled by a full-time employee but which, because of a potential relocation by the business, is at risk of being lost to another state or country or eliminated. For the purposes of determining a number of retained full-time jobs, the eligible positions of an affiliate shall be considered eligible positions of the business. For a project located in a Garden State Growth Zone that qualified for the Municipal Rehabilitation and Economic Recovery Act, P.L. 2002, c. 43 (N.J.S.A. 52:27BBB-1 et seq.) or a project located in a Garden State Growth Zone that contains a Tourism District as established pursuant to P.L. 2011, c. 18, §5 (N.J.S.A. 5:12-219) and regulated by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, "retained full-time job" shall include any employee previously employed in New Jersey and transferred to the new location in the Garden State Growth Zone that qualified for the Municipal Rehabilitation and Economic Recovery Act, P.L. 2002, c. 43 (N.J.S.A. 52:27BBB-1 et seq.) or in the Garden State Growth Zone that contains a Tourism District as established pursuant to P.L. 2011, c. 18, §5 (N.J.S.A. 5:12-219) and regulated by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority. For the purposes of the certifications and annual reports required pursuant to the incentive agreement, N.J.S.A. 34:1B-245.e or 247.b(2), to the extent an eligible position that was the basis of the award no longer exists, a business shall include as a retained full-time job a new eligible position that is filled by a full-time employee as set forth N.J.A.C. 19:31Q-1.4(d).

"SDA district" means an "SDA district" as defined in section 3 of P.L. 2000, c. 72 (N.J.S.A. 18A:7G-3).

"SDA municipality" means a municipality in which an SDA district is situate.

"Soft costs" means all costs associated with financing, design, engineering, legal, or real estate commissions, provided they do not exceed 20 percent of total capital investment.

"Square feet" means the sum of all areas on all floors of a building included within the outside faces of its exterior walls, including all vertical penetration areas, for circulation and shaft areas that connect one floor to another, disregarding cornices, pilasters, buttresses, and similar structures, that extend beyond the wall faces.

"Square feet of gross leasable area" or "gross leasable area" means rentable area of the building as calculated pursuant to the measuring standards of the project. This standard will be defined in the lease for tenant applicants. The rentable area measures the tenant's pro rata portion of the entire office floor, including public corridors, restrooms, janitor closets, utility closets, and machine rooms used in common with other tenants, but excluding elements of the building that penetrate through the floor to areas below. The rentable area of a floor is fixed for the life of a building and is not affected by changes in corridor sizes or configuration.

"State college" means a State college or university established pursuant to Chapter 64 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

"Substantial environmental remediation" means the completion of the necessary actions to investigate and cleanup or respond to any known, suspected, or threatened discharge of contaminants, including, as necessary, the preliminary assessment, site investigation, remedial investigation, and remedial action, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 58:10B-1 et seq., which shall equal at least five percent of the capital investment in a qualified business facility.

"Targeted industry" means any industry identified from time to time by the Authority including initially, a transportation, manufacturing, defense, energy, logistics, life sciences, technology, health, and finance business, but excluding a primarily warehouse, distribution, or fulfillment center business.

"Technology startup company" means a for-profit business that has been in operation fewer than five years and is developing or possesses a proprietary technology or business method of a high technology or life science-related product, process, or service, which the business intends to move to commercialization. The business shall be deemed to have begun operation on the date that the business first hired at least one employee in a full-time position.

"Tourism destination project" means a qualified non-gaming business facility that will be among the most visited privately owned or operated tourism or recreation sites in the State, and which is located within the qualified incentive area and has been determined by the Authority to be in an area appropriate for development and in need of economic development incentive assistance, including a non-gaming business facility within an established Tourism District with a significant impact on the economic viability of that District.

"Transit oriented development" means a qualified business facility located within a 1/2-mile radius, or one-mile radius for projects located in a Garden State Growth Zone, surrounding the mid-point of a New Jersey Transit Corporation, Port Authority Transit Corporation, or Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation rail, bus, or ferry station platform area, including all light rail stations. For the purposes of determining the transit project bonus pursuant to N.J.A.C. 19:31-8.8(c)4, a bus station platform is a terminal as listed on the EDA's website at www.njeda.com.

"Urban transit hub" means an urban transit hub, as defined in section 10 of P.L. 2007, c. 346 (N.J.S.A. 34:1B-208), that is located within an eligible municipality, as defined in section 10 of P.L. 2007, c. 346 (N.J.S.A. 34:1B-208) and also located within a qualified incentive area.

"Urban transit hub municipality" means a municipality that qualifies for State aid pursuant to P.L. 1978, c. 14 (N.J.S.A. 52:27D-17 178 et seq.), or that has continued to be a qualified municipality thereunder pursuant to P.L. 2007, c. 111; and in which 30 percent or more of the value of real property was exempt from local property taxation during tax year 2006. The percentage of exempt property shall be calculated by dividing the total exempt value by the sum of the net valuation that is taxable and that which is tax exempt.

"Withholdings" means the amount withheld by a business from the wages of full-time employees or estimated taxes paid by, or on behalf of, partners that are full-time employees, or any combination thereof, pursuant to the New Jersey Gross Income Tax Act, N.J.S.A. 54A:1-1 et seq. Withholdings shall not include amounts withheld by a business from stock options or from stock options, money, or other payments given to a full-time employee pursuant to the termination of employment of the full-time employee. Withholdings shall include amounts withheld by a business from money or other payments given to a full-time employee pursuant to a bonus for commencing employment or for services rendered by the full-time employee.

N.J. Admin. Code § 19:31Q-1.2

Amended by R.2015 d.014, effective 1/20/2015.
See: 46 N.J.R. 1593(a), 47 N.J.R. 277(b).
Added definitions, "Aviation district", "Commitment period", "Complex of buildings", "Deep poverty pocket", "Disaster recovery project", "Distressed municipality", "Eligibility period", " 'Garden State Growth Zone' or 'growth zone' ", "Highlands development credit receiving area or redevelopment area", "Incentive agreement", "Incentive effective date", "Industrial premises", "Major rail station", "Mega project", "Minimum environmental and sustainability standards", "Moderate-income housing", "Municipal Revitalization Index", "Non-industrial premises", "Other eligible area", "Port district", "Priority area", "Project", "Qualified incubator facility", "SDA district", "SDA municipality", "Square feet", " 'Square feet of gross leasable area' or 'gross leasable area' ", "Substantial environmental remediation", "Targeted industry", "Technology startup company", "Tourism destination project", "Transit oriented development", "Urban transit hub", "Urban transit hub municipality", and "Withholdings"; rewrote definitions "Business", "Capital investment", "Full-time employee", "Qualified business facility", "Qualified incentive area" and "Retained full-time job"; substituted definition, " 'Eligible position' or 'full-time job' " for definition "Eligible position"; and deleted definitions, "Commitment duration", "Public transit facility", and "Tax credit term".
Amended by R.2015 d.132, effective 8/17/2015.
See: 47 N.J.R. 258(a), 47 N.J.R. 2178(b).
Rewrote the section.
Amended by R.2015 d.201, effective 12/21/2015.
See: 47 N.J.R. 2055(a), 47 N.J.R. 3160(a).
Added definition "Non-gaming business"; and rewrote definition "Retained full-time job".
Amended by R.2016 d.045, effective 5/16/2016.
See: 47 N.J.R. 3104(a), 48 N.J.R. 103(a), 48 N.J.R. 858(a).
In definition "Business", inserted the last sentence; and rewrote definition " 'Eligible position' or 'full-time job' ".
Amended by R.2016 d.059, effective 6/6/2016.
See: 47 N.J.R. 2341(a), 48 N.J.R. 977(b).
In definition "Qualified incentive area", rewrote paragraph 2ii; and in definitions "Qualified incubator facility" and "Technology startup company", inserted the last sentence.
Amended by R.2017 d.010, effective 1/3/2017.
See: 48 N.J.R. 2031(a), 49 N.J.R. 134(a).
In definition "Mega project", in paragraph 3, deleted "or" from the end, in paragraph 4, inserted a comma following ")" and following "63", and substituted "; or" for a period at the end, and added paragraph 5; and in definition "Retained full-time job", substituted "as set forth in N.J.A.C. 19:31-18.4(d)" for "provided that the position is included in the order of date of hire and is not the basis for any other incentive award".
Amended by R.2018 d.122, effective 6/4/2018.
See: 49 N.J.R. 3576(a), 50 N.J.R. 1374(a).
Added definitions "College or university", "County college", "Doctoral university", "Garden State Create Zone", "Independent institution of higher education", "Public research university", and "State college"; made grammatical and technical changes in definitions "Capital investment", ""Disaster recovery project", "Full-time employee", and "Mega project"; in definition "Qualified incentive area", in 2iii, inserted "a rural development area zoned for industrial use as of December 15, 2016, the effective date of P.L. 2016, c. 75," and in 2vii(4) substituted the second occurrence of "the" for "such"; and in definition "Withholdings", deleted ", and, if the full-time employee is an employee whose position has moved to New Jersey but whose income is not subject to the New Jersey gross income tax pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54A:1-1 et seq., the amount of withholding that would occur if the employee were to move to New Jersey." from the end of the first sentence.
Recodified from 19:31-18.2 56 N.J.R. 807(a), effective 5/6/2024