Empire Zones

The Empire Zone program was created by New York State to stimulate economic growth, attract new businesses and enable existing businesses to expand and create more jobs, through a variety of tax incentives.

Mohawk Valley EDGE administers two Empire Zones, the Oneida County Empire Zone and the City of Rome Empire Zone. In addition, the City of Utica Empire Zone and the Herkimer County Empire Zone assist new and existing businesses in the Mohawk Valley.

Statewide there are 82 Empire Zones with more than 9,800 certified businesses employing more than 380,000 people. Legislation authorizing designation of an Empire Zone in every county will result in 85 zones statewide before the end of 2007.

To participate in the Empire Zones Program, a business must first be located in an Empire Zone, or qualify as a regionally significant project, and become zone certified. To qualify for certification, a business must be able to demonstrate that it will create new jobs and/or make investments in the Empire Zone and be consistent with the local zone's development plan, including a cost-benefit analysis. Applications for certification must first be approved by the local Zone Administration Board and Zone Certifying Officer, and then jointly by the Departments of Economic Development (Empire State Development) and Labor.

Click here for more information on the Oneida County Empire Zone or Rome Empire Zone. For assistance on the Empire Zone or getting your business into the Rome or Oneida County Empire Zones, contact:

Peter Zawko or Lorna Perry
Mohawk Valley EDGE
153 Brooks Road
Rome, New York 13441-4105
315-338-0393
800-765-4990
Fax 315-338-5694
Email: pzawko@mvedge.org or laperry@mvedge.org

For more information on Empire Zones, please visit Empire State Development’s Empire Zone page, or the Department of Taxation and Finance’s Empire Zone page.