On behalf of the City of Forest Grove, our City Council and our employees, I wanted to take a moment to express our deep gratitude... more
City Hall
City Offers New Incentives For Business
The Forest Grove City Council has adopted a Business Incentive Program as part of an on-going effort to reduce barriers to business and create jobs in the local economy. The program waives or reduces certain fees and allows for payment options of water system development charges for new and existing Forest Grove businesses that are relocating or expanding to currently vacant commercial or industrial space. The program also is designed to work with existing local initiatives and new federal programs.
The program is designed to help both new and existing businesses. The incentives include a full waiver of the Business License Fee including first time application fees, site plan review fees up to $2,000, sign permit review fees up to $1,000, and building permit fees up to $5,000. In addition, water system development charges can be financed by the City. The business incentive program will run from April 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012.
“Offering this program provides multiple benefits to the Forest Grove community” said Mayor Peter Truax. “Some of the up-front financial burdens are reduced for these business owners, vacant space is occupied, and jobs are created for our residents.”
The Business Incentive Program can be packaged with two other local incentive programs, the Business Energy Conservation Program and the Enterprise Zone Program. The Business Energy Conservation Program can provide a cash rebate for conservation improvements while the Enterprise Zone Program can offer eligible companies a 100% exemption of property taxes up to 5 years on new investments. City staff can also offer information on provisions of the 2010 Small Business Jobs and the 2010 Tax Relief Act. These Federal acts offer various types of tax relief, deductions and credits as well as enhanced Small Business Administration (SBA) and community bank lending.
“The Business Incentive Program is another example of how business-friendly Forest Grove is,” said Jeffrey King, Economic Development Coordinator. City staff from the Economic Development Department is available to answer questions or meet with business owners. Information and program applications are available at City Hall. Please visit http://www.forestgrove-or.gov/city-hall/incentives.html or contact Jeff King in the Economic Development Department at 503-992-3293 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it