Downtown Opportunities
A Maine Opportunity Zone Designated Area
Not only are we one of the 32 communities to be given the Opportunity Zone designation, but we have other incentive programs which make a move to our downtown even more attractive!
Opportunity Zones
Opportunity Zones are a new community development program established by Congress in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to encourage long-term investments in low-income urban and rural communities nationwide.
Augusta, and our downtown area, are one of only 32 areas in Maine that were designated as an opportunity zone. Opportunity Zones are designed to spur economic development by providing tax benefits to investors. First, investors can defer tax on any prior gains until the earlier of the date on which an investment is sold or exchanged, or December 31, 2026, so long as the gain is reinvested in a Qualified Opportunity Fund. Second, if the investor holds the investment in the Opportunity Fund for at least ten years, the investor would be eligible for an increase in basis equal to the fair market value of the investment on the date that the investment is sold or exchanged.
Interested in learning more? Click here to email us, or call us (207.458.8757) or the City of Augusta to get more information. Or, click here to read some FAQs on opportunity zones.
Signs Grant
In 2017, Downtown Augusta was added to the National Register of Historic Places, making our city center one of just a handful of downtowns in the state to be included in its entirety. To celebrate this fact, and to highlight a more historically-inspired street, the Augusta Downtown Alliance has established a signs grant to assist new and existing business owners with obtaining new signage. Under the terms of this grant, a business can apply for up to $500 to go towards their sign simply by filling out a one page application form and submitting it through the ADA. This, along with the city's sign permit, will then be reviewed once a design is made, by the Historic District Review Board. Once approved, funds will be dispersed to the business owner.
To request an application, email: director@augustadowntown.com.
