§ 435. Approval of tax-free NY areas. 1. The president or chief executive officer of any state university campus, community college or city university campus seeking to sponsor a tax-free NY area and have some of its eligible land specified under subdivision one of section four hundred thirty-two of this article be designated as a tax-free NY area must submit a plan to the commissioner that specifies the land or space the campus or college wants to include, describes the type of business or businesses that may locate on that land or in that space, explains how those types of businesses align with or further the academic mission of the campus or college and how participation by those types of businesses in the START-UP NY program would have positive community and economic benefits, and describes the process the campus or college will follow to select participating businesses. At least thirty days prior to submitting such plan, the campus or college must provide the municipality or municipalities in which the proposed tax-free NY area is located, local economic development entities, the applicable campus or college faculty senate, union representatives and the campus student government with a copy of the plan. In addition, if the plan of the campus or college includes land or space located outside of the campus boundaries, the campus or college must consult with the municipality or municipalities in which such land or space is located prior to including such space or land in its proposed tax-free NY area and shall give preference to underutilized properties. Before approving or rejecting the plan submitted by a state university campus, community college or city university campus, the commissioner shall consult with the chancellor of the applicable university system or his or her designee.

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2. The president or chief executive officer of any private college or university or of any state university campus, community college or city university campus seeking to sponsor a tax-free NY area and have some of its eligible land specified under subdivision two of section four hundred thirty-two of this article be designated as a tax-free NY area must submit a plan to the commissioner that specifies the land or space the college or university wants to include, describes the type of business or businesses that may locate on that land or in that space, explains how those types of businesses align with or further the academic mission of the college or university and how participation by those types of businesses in the START-UP NY program would have positive community and economic benefits, and describes the process the campus or college will follow to select participating businesses. In addition, if the plan of the campus or college includes land or space located outside of the campus boundaries, the campus or college must consult with the municipality or municipalities in which such land or space is located prior to including such space or land in its proposed tax-free NY area and shall notify local economic development entities. The commissioner shall forward the plan submitted under this subdivision to the START-UP NY approval board. In evaluating such plans, the board shall examine the merits of each proposal, including but not limited to, compliance with the provisions of this article, reasonableness of the economic and fiscal assumptions contained in the application and in any supporting documentation and potential of the proposed project to create new jobs, and, except for proposals for designation of eligible land under paragraph (c) of subdivision two of section four hundred thirty-two of this article, shall prioritize for acceptance and inclusion into the START-UP NY program plans for tax-free NY areas in counties that contain a city with a population of one hundred thousand or more without a university center as defined in subdivision seven of § 350 of the education law on the effective date of this article. No preference shall be given based on the time of submission of the plan, provided that any submission deadlines established by the board are met. In addition, the board shall give preference to private colleges or universities that include underutilized properties within their proposed tax-free NY areas. The board by a majority vote shall approve or reject each plan forwarded to it by the commissioner.

3. A campus, university or college may amend its approved plan, provided that the campus, university or college may not violate the terms of any lease with a business located in the approved tax-free NY area. In addition, if a business located in a tax-free NY area does not have a lease with a campus, university or college, and such business is terminated from the START-UP NY program pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision four of section four hundred thirty-six of this article, and subsequently does not relocate outside of the tax-free NY area, a campus, university or college may amend its approved plan to allocate an amount of vacant land or space equal to the amount of space occupied by the business that is terminated. The amendment must be approved pursuant to the procedures and requirements set forth in subdivision one or two of this section, whichever is applicable.

4. The START-UP NY approval board, by majority vote, shall designate correctional facilities described in subdivision fourteen of section four hundred thirty-one of this article, START-UP NY airport facilities described in subdivision fifteen of section four hundred thirty-one of this article and up to twenty strategic state assets as tax-free NY areas. Each shall be affiliated with a state university campus, city university campus, community college, or private college or university and such designation shall require the support of the affiliated campus, college or university. Each strategic state asset and START-UP NY airport facility, other than a correctional facility, may not exceed a maximum of two hundred thousand square feet of vacant land or vacant building space designated as a tax-free NY area. Designation of strategic state assets, correctional facilities described in subdivision fourteen of section four hundred thirty-one of this article, and START-UP NY airport facilities described in subdivision fifteen of section four hundred thirty-one of this article as tax-free NY areas shall not count against any square footage limitations in section four hundred thirty-two of this article.

5. The commissioner shall promulgate regulations to effectuate the purposes of this section, including, but not limited to, establishing the process for the plan submissions and approvals of tax-free NY areas and the eligibility criteria that will be applied in evaluating those plans.