The Florida Senate

Within the communities of this state, there exist areas that chronically display extreme and unacceptable levels of unemployment, physical deterioration, and economic disinvestment.

Each such area is a blight on the community as a whole, tarnishes the image and reputation of the community in the eyes of its residents, and reduces the desirability of the community as a place to visit and live.

Such severely distressed areas have high crime rates and provide environments detrimental to the physical and emotional health of their residents.

The revitalization and redevelopment of each such area for the ultimate benefit of its residents and the community as a whole is of critical importance to the individual community and to this state.

The resources of all levels of government are insufficient, and often inappropriate, to undertake successfully the massive task of restoring the social and economic productivity of such areas.

The ultimate revitalization of such areas can occur only if the private sector can be induced to invest its own resources in productive enterprises that rebuild the industrial and commercial viability of the areas and provide jobs for residents of the areas.

In order to provide the private sector with the necessary incentives to invest in such distressed areas, governments at all levels should seek ways to relax or eliminate fiscal and regulatory constraints and should seek to identify supportive actions that facilitate business investment in such distressed areas and overcome business objections to distressed area site locations.