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East Bay Cities Incentives - Livermore

Livermore

CITYWIDE DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES

Great Customer Services:

  1. Provide one-stop permit & information center to streamline processing time

  2. Calculate fee estimates

  3. Offer Green (Red) Team Meetings

  4. Commitment to keep your project on schedule

No Payroll Tax - City of Livermore does not have a payroll tax.

  • Long-term Low-interest Infrastructure Loans - available for businesses that generate a minimum of $1 million annually in sales tax – loan amount determined case-by-case.  Loans are paid using sales tax revenues above an established base threshold.
  • Parking Incentive Program for Business Expansions – reduced in-lieu parking fees for building expansions up to 10% of gross floor area.

Recycling Loan Fund - If your business will divert, reduce, or use waste from the local area waste stream, your project may be eligible for loans up to $125,000 from the Alameda County Recycling Board. Visit www.stopwaste.org for more information or contact Bruce Goddard at (510) 614-1699 or via e-mail at acwma@stopwaste.org.

DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES

  • Restaurant Sewer Connection Fees Payment Program – Sewer Connection Fees could be spread over 20 years for restaurants in Downtown; and, for up to three (3) years for restaurants outside of Downtown. 
  • Façade Improvement and Design Consultation Program – Low interest loan program to assist in design services, interior improvements and exterior storefront improvements.  The program is arranged through the Bank of Walnut Creek.
  • Fee Postponement Program – payment of sanitary sewer connection and traffic impact fees could be postponed to the time the building occupancy permit is issued.
  • Development Fee Credit Program – certain development impact fee credits are available for the re-use of buildings and for demolished buildings based on the prior use and size of the building(s). 
  • New Business Rent Assistance Program - If criteria are satisfied, a new business could receive up to $18,000 of assistance in the first year of operation of the business.  Of the total amount issued to the business, 55 percent would be issued as a forgivable no interest loan.  This loan would be written down for every month the business is in operation beginning in year two of operation.  The loan would be completely forgiven at the end of the fifth year.  The remainder of the funds (45 percent of the total) would be a low interest loan paid back to the City of Livermore Redevelopment Agency through monthly payments beginning in year two of operation of the business.
  • Marketing Program – The Redevelopment Agency will provide marketing funds at a ratio of $1 of RDA funds for every $2 of private funds to help promote downtown businesses.
  • Relocation Assistance Program – This program is to assist desired businesses to locate in the Downtown Core Area.  Eligible costs could include moving a company, transferring or setting up utilities, temporary signage indicating the new location, etc.  Grants range from $1,500-$10,000 based on criteria set forth in the program and would be paid after the business has relocated and is operating at the new site (as a rebate). The maximum dollar value of the grants would be tied to the retail square footage of the new location.
  • Flexible Zone and Sidewalk Area Use Implementation Program - The Redevelopment Agency will assist restaurants and other users of the sidewalk area to acquire planters and street furniture that comply with the Downtown Standards.  Grants will be determined on case-by-case.
  • Redevelopment Agency (RDA) Projects – Projects that are part of a Disposition and Development Agreement with the RDA may be offered additional incentives that are negotiated case-by-case.
  • Reduced Development Fees for Downtown Developments that Increase Public Parking – fee reductions determined case-by-case.

Reduced Development Fees for Restoration of Historic Buildings – fee reductions determined by historical classification  (Still Pending)
 
INDUSTRIAL / OFFICE ZONED PROPERTIES

  • Park In-Lieu Fees - Five-year phase in of Park In-lieu fees plus annual cost of living.  Park fees will be phased in at 20% increments.
  • Gap Financing – The City will provide funds for required infrastructure fees and/or improvements for developments that generate over $1 million annually through a combination of sales taxes, property taxes and /or transient occupancy taxes to the City;
  • Or, the City will pay the portion of the development impact fees that can be supported from the tax proceeds above $1 million per year generated by the project, or pay the annual assessment for projects in an existing improvement district;

Or, for project fees that are in the Statewide Community Infrastructure Program the City will pay the portion of the annual assessment for development impact fees that can be supported from the tax proceeds above $1 million per year generated by the project.

  • Businesses with High Wages - An industrial business could receive a $5,000 incentive for every job with a salary of at least $96,000 (excluding benefits).  The incentive shall be paid to the business over five years at 20% per year.  The minimum requirements to qualify for the incentive are that the business must have at least 50 jobs at its Livermore location and 66% of those jobs must have a salary equal to or above the average Livermore wage ($69,500 in 2005).

Affordable Housing Credits – Credits will be considered on a case-by-case basis for businesses that generate a high proportion of high wage jobs that reduce the number of affordable housing units that could be needed.

  • Letter of Credit – A Letter of Credit with a reputable banking institution acceptable to the City may be used to secure the payment of development and permit fees; and the fees may be paid over a maximum of five consecutive years starting at the time of occupancy.  The Letter of Credit shall be in an amount to cover the fees plus inflation at the time the fees are actually paid, plus any administrative costs the City could incur. 
  • Industrial Development Bonds - Manufacturing firms may qualify for tax-exempt and other forms of State of Californian Industrial Development Revenue Bond Financing.