(a) Any municipality that was a distressed municipality under the provisions of subsection (b) of section 32-9p on February 1, 1986, may, with the approval of the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, designate an area of such municipality as an enterprise zone. Any such area shall consist of one or two contiguous United States census tracts, contiguous portions of such census tracts or a portion of an individual census tract, as determined in accordance with the most recent United States census and, if such area is covered by zoning, a portion of it shall be zoned to allow commercial or industrial activity. The census tracts within which such designated area is located shall also meet at least one of the following criteria: (1) Twenty-five per cent or more of the persons within the individual census tracts shall have income below the poverty level, as determined by the most recent United States census, as officially updated by the appropriate state agency or institution; (2) twenty-five per cent or more of the families within the individual census tracts shall receive public assistance or welfare income, as determined by the most recent United States census, as officially updated by the appropriate state agency or institution; or (3) the unemployment rate of the individual census tracts shall be at least two hundred per cent of the state’s average, as determined by the most recent United States census, as officially updated by the appropriate state agency or institution. In calculating any such percentage for one or two contiguous census tracts, contiguous portions of census tracts or a portion of an individual census tract, the commissioner shall round up to the nearest whole percentage number. If a census tract qualifies under the eligibility criteria for designation as an enterprise zone and if the commissioner determines that a census tract which is contiguous to such tract has significant job creation potential, the commissioner may include such contiguous census tract, or a portion thereof, in the enterprise zone in lieu of a second qualified census tract if such contiguous census tract meets at least one of the following reduced criteria: (A) Fifteen per cent or more of the persons within the census tract shall have income below the poverty level, as determined by the most recent United States census, as officially updated by the appropriate state agency or institution; (B) fifteen per cent or more of the families within the census tract shall receive public assistance or welfare income, as determined by the most recent United States census, as officially updated by the appropriate state agency or institution; or (C) the unemployment rate of the census tract shall be at least one hundred fifty per cent of the state’s average, as determined by the most recent United States census, as officially updated by the appropriate state agency or institution. If a census tract boundary line is the center line of a street, the commissioner may include within the enterprise zone that portion of the property fronting on such street which is outside of but adjacent to the census tract. The depth of such property so included in the enterprise zone shall be determined by the commissioner at the time of the designation of the zone. If a census tract boundary line is located along a railroad right-of-way, railroad property or natural stream of water, the commissioner may include within the enterprise zone any private properties under common ownership which are traversed by the railroad right-of-way, railroad property or natural stream of water. Any private properties so affected shall be included in the enterprise zone at the time of the designation of the zone except, in the case of an enterprise zone designated prior to October 1, 1983, the commissioner may include within the zone any such property if the municipality in which the zone is located requests the commissioner to include such property not later than sixty days after October 1, 1983. If more than twenty-five per cent of the project area of a development project under chapter 132 is located in an area eligible for designation as an enterprise zone and the project plan for such development project is approved by the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development in accordance with section 8-191, the commissioner may include the entire project area of such development project area in an enterprise zone. If more than twenty-five per cent of the project area of a municipal development project under chapter 588l is located in an area eligible for designation as an enterprise zone and the development plan for such project is approved by the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development in accordance with section 32-224, the commissioner may include the entire project area of such project in an enterprise zone. If more than fifty per cent of an approved redevelopment area under chapter 130 is located in an area eligible for designation as an enterprise zone, the commissioner may include the entire redevelopment area in an enterprise zone. The commissioner may also include in the area designated as an enterprise zone (i) any facility, as defined in section 32-9p, which is located outside of but contiguous to a census tract included in the zone, (ii) any private properties which are (I) under common ownership, (II) located outside of a census tract included in the zone and (III) contiguous to a railroad right-of-way which is the boundary of such a census tract, or (iii) any private properties which are located outside of a census tract included in the zone, but between the zone and a railroad right-of-way, where other segments of such railroad right-of-way serve as boundaries for the zone. The commissioner may, at any time after the designation of an area as an enterprise zone, include in such zone any area contiguous to such zone which, at the time of the designation of such zone, was eligible to be included in such zone but was not so included. The commissioner may, at any time after the designation of an area as an enterprise zone, include in such zone any property which is located within one hundred fifty feet of a stream, the center line of which is the boundary of a census tract included in such zone, and which property contains an existing building or facility, having an area equal to or greater than one hundred thousand square feet, that is or was formerly used for manufacturing purposes but is underutilized or vacant at the time the property is included in such zone. If the commissioner determines that the necessary data is not available from the most recent United States census, the commissioner may use such data as the commissioner deems appropriate. The commissioner shall include in the designation of the enterprise zone in the city of Meriden the entire parcel of land bordered by Cook Avenue, Hanover Street, Perkins Street Square, and South Colony Street.

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(b) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, (1) any municipality which has an enterprise zone may with the approval of the commissioner, expand such enterprise zone by designating for inclusion in such zone one or more additional census tracts or contiguous portions of such census tract or tracts, provided such census tract or tracts are located in the municipality, are contiguous to the enterprise zone and meet the reduced criteria for contiguous census tracts in subsection (a) of this section, (2) any municipality which is contiguous to an enterprise zone which is located in another municipality may, with the approval of the commissioner, designate as an enterprise zone one or more census tracts or contiguous portions of such census tract or tracts, which are located in the municipality making such designation, provided such census tract or tracts meet the reduced criteria for contiguous census tracts in subsection (a) of this section and are contiguous to the enterprise zone located in the other municipality. When approving such an expanded or new zone under this subsection, the commissioner shall consider the development rationale, proposed local effort and job creation potential of such expanded or new zone as demonstrated by the municipality and (3) any municipality which is contiguous to an enterprise zone which is located in another municipality may, with the approval of the commissioner and the legislative body of the municipality containing the enterprise zone, designate as an enterprise zone one or more census tracts or portions of such census tract or tracts that are contiguous to the enterprise zone in the other municipality, provided no municipality which designates an enterprise zone in this manner shall be considered to be a targeted investment community, as defined in section 32-222, or an enterprise zone community.

(c) (1) On or before September 30, 1993, the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall approve the designation of ten areas as enterprise zones, not more than four of which shall be in municipalities with a population greater than eighty thousand and not more than six of which shall be in municipalities with a population of less than eighty thousand.

(2) (A) On or after October 1, 1993, the commissioner shall approve the designation of two areas as enterprise zones. Each such area shall be in a municipality with a population of less than eighty thousand, in which there are one or more base or plant closures. Such municipalities shall be in different counties. If the commissioner approves the designation of an area of a municipality as an enterprise zone because of a plant closure in the municipality and there is a closure of another plant in any other municipality in the state by the same business, the commissioner shall also designate an area in such other municipality as an enterprise zone. If any such designated area includes a portion of a census tract in which any such base or plant is located, the census tracts in such area shall not be required to meet the eligibility criteria set forth under subsection (a) of this section for enterprise zone designation. If any such area is located elsewhere in the municipality, the census tracts in such area shall meet such eligibility criteria. As used in this subparagraph, (i) “base” means any United States or state of Connecticut military base or facility located in whole or in part within the state; (ii) “plant” means any manufacturing business or economic base business, as defined in section 32-222; and (iii) “closure” means any reduction or transfer in military personnel or civilian employment at one or more bases or plants in a municipality, which occurred between July 1, 1989, and July 1, 1993, or is scheduled to occur between July 1, 1993, and July 1, 1996, and exceeds two thousand persons. Such employment figures shall be certified by the Labor Department.

(B) On or after October 1, 1993, the commissioner shall approve the designation of three other areas as enterprise zones, one of which shall be in a municipality with a population greater than eighty thousand and two of which shall be in municipalities with a population of less than eighty thousand. The census tracts in such areas shall meet the eligibility criteria set forth under subsection (a) of this section for enterprise zone designation. The commissioner shall approve the designation of enterprise zones under this subparagraph for those municipalities which he or she determines to have experienced the largest increases in poverty from October 1, 1989, to October 1, 1993, inclusive, based on a weighted average of the unemployment rate, caseload under the temporary family assistance program and per capita income of less than ninety per cent of the state average between 1985 and 1989. In making his determination, the commissioner may also consider the vacancy rates for commercial and industrial facilities in a municipality and a municipality’s program for the implementation of an effective enterprise zone program. To the extent appropriate, the commissioner shall use the Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI) system in making the calculations for such determination.

(C) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, municipalities that were not distressed municipalities under the provisions of subsection (b) of section 32-9p on February 1, 1986, shall be eligible to designate areas as enterprise zones under subparagraph (A) or (B) of this subdivision.

(3) On or after July 1, 2014, the commissioner shall approve the designation of two areas as enterprise zones as follows: (A) One area shall be in a municipality with a population of not more than fifty thousand, as enumerated in the 2010 federal decennial census, and in which is located a United States Postal Service processing center that at any point in time employed one thousand or more persons, except that such area shall only be designated as an enterprise zone for a term of five years from the date any portion of the area is transferred, provided such transfer occurs on or after July 1, 2014, and (B) one area shall be in a municipality with a population of not less than seven thousand eight hundred and not more than seven thousand nine hundred, as enumerated in the 2010 federal decennial census, and having a total area of not more than 12.2 square miles. Each such enterprise zone area shall consist of two contiguous United States census tracts, contiguous portions of such census tracts or all or a portion of an individual census tract, as determined in accordance with the most recent federal decennial census and, if such area is covered by zoning, a portion of such area shall be zoned to allow commercial or industrial activity. The census tracts in each such enterprise zone area shall not be required to meet the eligibility criteria set forth in subsection (a) of this section. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, municipalities that were not distressed municipalities under the provisions of subsection (b) of section 32-9p on February 1, 1986, shall be eligible to designate areas as enterprise zones under this subdivision.

(4) (A) The commissioner shall not approve the designation of more than one enterprise zone in any municipality. The commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with chapter 54 concerning such additional qualifications for an area to become an enterprise zone as he or she deems necessary.

(B) The commissioner may remove the designation of any area he or she has approved as an enterprise zone if such area no longer meets the criteria for designation as such an area set forth in this section or in regulations adopted pursuant to this section, except that no such designation shall be removed (i) less than ten years from the original date of approval of such zone, or (ii) if the number of residents in such area with income below the poverty level, as determined by the most recent United States census, has not been reduced by at least seventy-five per cent from the original date of approval of such zone.

(C) The commissioner may designate any additional area as an enterprise zone if that area is designated as an enterprise zone, empowerment zone or enterprise community pursuant to any federal legislation.

(d) Each municipality seeking the approval of the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development for the designation of an area of the municipality as an enterprise zone shall file with the commissioner a preliminary application. Not later than sixty days after receipt of such a preliminary application, the commissioner shall indicate to the municipality, in writing, any recommendations for improving the municipality’s application. Not later than sixty days after receipt of the commissioner’s written response, the municipality shall file a final application with the commissioner.

(e) The Department of Economic and Community Development shall compile information on activities and programs which are conducted in enterprise zones approved by the commissioner before and after July 1, 1986, and shall serve as a resource center for the dissemination of such information upon request.