Governor Tom Corbett awarded two City Revitalization and Improvement Zone (CRIZ) program designations to the cities of Bethlehem and Lancaster. Through the CRIZ program, vacant, desolate or abandoned space can be developed for commercial use, thereby creating jobs, increasing personal incomes, growing state and local tax revenues and reviving local economies.

The selection of Mantua as a Promise Zone means that neighborhood will be given preference when applying for a host of other federal grants. The area selected has a 50-percent poverty rate and an employment rate topping 13 percent.

Provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development Ben Franklin Development Authority, 23 high-growth startups located within a Keystone Innovation Zone will be receiving tax credits for 2014, which can be sold on the secondary market for cash to support future growth.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh rang out the year with the very merry announcement that it had secured $2.5 million in state grant funds for the East Liberty Transit Center. The project will build a multimodal hub serving 800 transit riders a day with shorter routes and quicker transfers.

The Bond Buyer reports that states will be allowed to issue 5.2% more of private activity bonds in 2014, freeing money for projects that would otherwise be ineligible for tax-exempt financing. Included are graphics demonstrating the volume cap changes from 2013 to 2014 by state.

Interested in bringing your organization to the forefront of hundreds of economic development finance professionals in the state? Consider sponsoring the CDFA Pennsylvania Financing Roundtable in 2014.

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This presentation gives a overview of Allentown's Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ), including a map, benefits and challenges, and a context for the bigger picture.

This introductory factsheet provides the basics of WHEEL, whose purpose is to provide low cost, large scale capital for state and local government and utility-sponsored residential energy efficiency loan programs.

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