Danville City Council voted Thursday night to seek changes in the boundaries of one enterprise zone in the city and changes to incentives offered for industries that locate in that zone and a second one in the region.
Danville officials hope to redraw the geographic boundaries of an enterprise zone in the city in order to attract more industry.
An enterprise zone is an area where industries can receive state and local incentives for locating there.
Amending the city’s boundaries is a routine process.
“It’s about trying to encourage new economic growth in the areas that need it,” said City Manager Ken Larking.
Council voted 8-0 in two separate votes for the changes to each zone. Vice Mayor Gary Miler was absent.
Danville’s Office of Economic Development wants to change the geographic boundaries and the incentives offered in the 1,800-acre enterprise zone throughout the city that includes the Central Business District, Tobacco Warehouse District, Cyber Park, Goodyear Boulevard, Dan River Schoolfield Complex, Riverview Industrial Park and the former Corning Plant.
The city must apply with the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development for approval of the changes, which would include deleting about 51 acres and adding about 70 acres of commercial property with identified development projects in process or in the near future.
The city also hopes to amend the enterprise zone incentives offered in another zone shared with Pittsylvania County. The city’s portion of the zone totals 1,679 acres and includes the Kentuck corridor, Airside Industrial Park, Gypsum Road Industrial corridor and parts of Cane Creek Centre Industrial Park. There are no proposed changes to that zone’s boundaries.
“This amendment will only amend the boundaries of Enterprise Zone No. 1, but will also amend the current incentives for Zone 1 and 57B to encourage capital investment and job creation in each respective zone,” Danville Economic Development Project Manager Kelvin Perry wrote in a letter to City Council.
Virginia’s Enterprise Zone Program is a partnership between state and local governments that encourages job creation and private investment, according to the state housing and community development department website.
Danville has two designated enterprise zones totaling 3,652 acres of commercial, industrial, retail and office spaces.