**CITY OF TIMMINS MEDIA RELEASE**

On June 15, 2018, Timmins Council adopted the City of Timmins Commercial & Industrial Community Improvement Plan – setting grant programs for businesses and building owners throughout the City of Timmins. The grant programs’ aim is to promote redevelopment of brownfield sites, encourage mining redevelopment and promote the City’s underutilized Timmins Industrial Park. For 2018, the City of Timmins has set aside $50,000 towards the Commercial & Industrial CIP.

The Commercial & Industrial CIP has three grants available which will be administered through the incentive programs:

? Tax Increment Rebate Grant – a grant to eligible individuals who undertake significant development resulting in an increase in the incremental tax value based on the pre- and post-redevelopment assessment value as determined by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC).

? Environmental Study Grant – a grant to help offset the environmental study costs associated with site remediation for properties that are contaminated.
? Municipal Fee Rebate Grant – a grant which provides refunds for planning and building fees.

Grant application forms are available from the Community & Development Services Department. Completed, eligible applications will be reviewed and approved for funding by the Community & Development Services Department on a “first-come, first-served” basis.

Interested applicants are encouraged to speak to the CIP Coordinator, Dave St.Onge, before submitting an application to ensure eligibility and the completeness of the application.

The Commercial & Industrial CIP incentive programs include:
? Commercial & Industrial Redevelopment – promote redevelopment of former commercial and industrial brownfield sites by offering the tax increment rebate grant, environmental study grant and municipal fee rebate grant opportunities to applicants meeting the eligibility criteria.
? Mining Redevelopment – promote development on properties that have been used as an active mine, mineral processing operation or previously used for mining purposes by offering the tax increment rebate grant and the municipal fee rebate grant to applicants meeting the eligibility criteria.
? Timmins Industrial Park Development – promote development within the Timmins Industrial Park, City owned land which is located west of McBride Street north of Wal-Mart, by offering the tax increment rebate and the municipal fee rebate grant to applicants meeting the eligibility criteria.

The Commercial & Industrial Community Improvement Plan was developed after consulting with the public, local businesses, building owners and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and after reviewing other municipalities’ programs including Sudbury, North Bay, Cornwall, Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie.