“Authority” means the New Jersey Economic Development Authority established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1974, c.80 (C. 34:1B-4).

“Department” means the Department of Agriculture.

“Director” means the Director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury.

“Eligible equipment costs” means expenditures for the procurement of such equipment as is needed to allow a supermarket, grocery store, mid-sized food retailer, small food retailer, or other eligible entity to store, refrigerate, transport, or otherwise maintain nutritious foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, for retail purposes, but within a standard range based upon industry standards, as determined by the authority.

“Eligible technology costs” means expenditures for the procurement or upgrade of technology systems to support online ordering and e-commerce, including but not limited to computer hardware, software, internet connectivity, and database systems.

“First or second new supermarket or grocery store” means the first and second new supermarket or grocery store within each food desert community to be approved for tax credits under the program by the authority, except that a supermarket or grocery store may lose the designation of first or second new supermarket or grocery store if the project does not meet milestones designated by the authority in a timely manner, as determined by the authority.

“Food desert community” means a physically contiguous area in the State in which residents have limited access to nutritious foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and which has been designated as a food desert community pursuant to subsection b. of section 38 of P.L.2020, c.156 (C. 34:1B-306).

“Initial operating costs” means expenditures for the operation of a supermarket or grocery store within the first three years after opening to the public, but within a standard range based upon industry standards, as determined by the authority.

“Mid-sized food retailer” means a medium-sized retail outlet with at least 2,500 but less than 16,000 square feet, of which at least 75 percent is occupied by food and related products, which products shall be based on industry standards, as determined by the authority, except that the food and related products shall not include alcoholic beverages and products related to the consumption of such beverages.

“New supermarket or grocery store” means a supermarket or grocery store that commenced construction, or commenced rehabilitation of at least 75 percent of its square footage, after the effective date of the “Food Desert Relief Act,” as established by sections 35 through 42 of P.L.2020, c.156 (C. 34:1B-303 through C. 34:1B-310).

“Program” means the Food Desert Relief Program established in section 38 of P.L.2020, c.156 (C. 34:1B-306).

“Project cost” means the costs incurred in connection with the establishment of a supermarket or grocery store within a food desert community by the developer until the opening of the supermarket or grocery store to the public, including the costs relating to lands, buildings, improvements, real or personal property, or any interest therein, including leases discounted to present value, including lands under water, riparian rights, space rights and air rights acquired, owned, developed or redeveloped, constructed, reconstructed, rehabilitated or improved, any environmental remediation costs, plus costs not directly related to construction, including capitalized interest paid to third parties, of an amount not to exceed 20 percent of the total costs, and the cost of infrastructure improvements, including ancillary infrastructure projects.

“Project financing gap” means the part of the total project cost, including return on investment, that remains to be financed after all other sources of capital have been accounted for, including, but not limited to, developer-contributed capital, which shall not be less than 20 percent of the total project cost, which may include the value of any existing land and improvements in the project area owned or controlled by the developer, and the cost of infrastructure improvements in the public right-of-way, and investor or financial entity capital or loans for which the developer, after making all good faith efforts to raise additional capital, certifies that additional capital cannot be raised from other sources on a non-recourse basis.

“Small food retailer” means a small retail outlet, with less than 2,500 square feet, that sells a limited selection of foods and other products, such as a bodega, convenience store, corner store, neighborhood store, small grocery, mobile food vendor, farmers’ market, food co-op, or small-scale store.

“Supermarket or grocery store” means a retail outlet with at least 16,000 square feet, of which at least 80 percent is occupied by food and related products, which products shall be based on industry standards, as determined by the authority, except that the food and related products shall not include alcoholic beverages and products related to the consumption of such beverages.

“Tax credit” means credit against a tax liability pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1950, c.231 (C. 17:32-15), N.J.S.17B:23-5, section 5 of P.L.1945, c.162 (C. 54:10A-5), and sections 2 and 3 of P.L.1945, c.132 (C. 54:18A-2 and C. 54:18A-3).

L.2020, c.156, s.37; amended 2021, c.160, s.13; 2022, c.47, s.1.