PocketLaw | Tennessee Code | Chapter Definitions

Chapter Definitions

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As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

“Base tax revenues” means the revenues generated from the collection of state and local sales and use taxes from all businesses within the applicable tourism development zone as of the end of the fiscal year of the state of Tennessee immediately prior to the year in which the municipality or public authority is entitled to receive an allocation of tax revenue pursuant to this chapter, adjusted annually after the first year by a percentage equal to the percentage of change in the collection of state and local sales and use taxes derived from the sale of goods, products and services for the entire county in which the public use facility is located for the preceding fiscal year. In the event the state rate for sales and use tax should increase during the period any municipality is receiving an apportionment pursuant to this chapter, the increase in the state rate for sales and use tax shall not be used for the purpose set forth in this chapter. In the event the state rate for sales and use tax should decrease during the period any municipality is receiving an apportionment pursuant to this chapter, the department of revenue, after consultation with the commissioner of finance and administration, shall adjust the base tax revenues to reflect such change in tax rate so as to provide for substantially the same economic benefit to the municipality and substantially the same overall allocation of revenue between the municipality and the state as is provided in this chapter;
“Beneficially impacted area” means the geographic area within which it is reasonably anticipated and projected that state and local sales and use taxes will increase as a result of the construction and operation of the qualified public use facility by an amount in excess of the increases in the collection of state and local sales and use tax revenues reasonably projected to occur within that area without regard to the construction of the public use facility;
“Cost”, as applied to any public use facility, means the cost of acquisition, design, construction, renovation, improvement, demolition and relocation of any improvements; the cost of labor, materials and equipment; the cost of all lands, property rights, easements and franchises required; financing charges, interest and debt service prior to, during or after construction; the cost of issuing bonds in connection with any financing, cost of plans and specifications, services and estimates of costs and of revenue; cost of engineering, accounting and legal services; all expenses necessary or incident to determining the feasibility or practicability of such acquisitions or constructions; salaries, overhead and other costs of the public building authority allocated to the project; and administrative, legal and engineering expenses and such other expenses as may be necessary or incident to such acquisition, design, construction, renovation, demolition, relocation or the financing of such other expenses, including any such costs incurred by a municipality or public building authority relating to the public use facility within one (1) year prior to the municipality's designation of the proposed tourism development zone for such facility;
“Municipality” means any incorporated city or county located in the state of Tennessee, including a county with a metropolitan form of government;
“Public authority” means any agency, authority or instrumentality created or authorized by any municipality or by two (2) or more municipalities acting jointly, including, but not limited to, any public building authority organized pursuant to the Public Building Authorities Act of 1971, compiled in title 12, chapter 10 or an industrial development corporation organized pursuant to chapter 53 of this title;
“Qualified associated development” means parks, plazas, recreational facilities, schools, sidewalks, access ways, roads, drives, bridges, ramps, landscaping, signage and other public improvements constructed or renovated by the municipality or the public building authority in connection with the public use facility and related infrastructure and utility improvements for public or private peripheral development included in a master development plan for the tourism development zone and that is constructed, renovated or installed by the municipality or the public authority. The total costs of the qualified associated development shall not exceed thirty percent (30%) of the costs of the entire qualified public use facility. Qualified associated development, except for public utility improvements, including water, sewer, electricity, or gas, associated with the qualified public use facility, shall be located within one and one half (1 ½) miles of the qualified public use facility and shall be considered qualified associated development if leased by a municipality or a public building authority;
1. “Qualified public use facility” includes:
  1. Any building, complex, center, facility or any two (2) or more adjacent buildings, complexes, centers or facilities containing at least two hundred fifty thousand square feet (250,000 sq. ft.), in the aggregate, inclusive of exhibit halls, ballrooms, meeting rooms, lobbies, corridors, service areas and other building areas, or areas enclosed thereby, constructed, leased, equipped, renovated, acquired or expanded after January 1, 1998, as a project meeting the requirements of the Local Government Public Obligations Act of 1986, compiled in title 9, chapter 21, the Public Building Authorities Act of 1971, or chapter 53 or chapter 89 of this title, by a public authority or municipality for purpose of furnishing economic development centers, renovated or new or expanded community facilities for conventions, meetings, exhibitions, trade shows, sports events or other events for educational, entertainment, business, association, cultural, public interest, public service and common interest groups, organizations and entities and that requires:

On or after January 1, 1998, a local investment of public funds in excess of seventy-five million dollars ($75,000,000), and is reasonably anticipated to attract private investment in the tourism development zone of more than fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) after January 1, 1998; or
On or after January 1, 2007, a local investment of public or private funds of not less than two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000);

Any privately owned or operated amusement or theme park that involves an investment of funds of more than one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000);

Any privately owned or operated tourism attraction involving an aggregate investment of public and private funds in excess of seventy-five million dollars ($75,000,000) that is designed to attract tourists to the state, including a cultural or historical site, a museum or visitors center, a recreation or entertainment facility, and all related hotel or hotels, convention center facilities, administrative facilities and offices, mixed use facilities, restaurants and other tourism amenities constructed or acquired as a part of the attraction; or

Any ancillary structures or facilities associated with a qualified public use facility described in subdivision (7)(A)(i), including hotel accommodations; transportation infrastructure; tourism, theatre, retail business and commercial office space facilities; parking facilities or any other structure or facility constructed, leased, equipped, renovated or acquired for any of the purposes set forth in chapter 89 of this title;

“Qualified public use facility” also includes qualified associated development. An investment in qualified public use facilities required by a lease from a municipality shall be considered a local investment of public funds for the purposes of this chapter;

“Secondary tourist development zone” means a tourist development zone that at the time of its creation is located more than three (3) miles from the county courthouse;

“Structured lease agreement” means a lease by a municipality of a qualified public use facility within a tourism development zone financed by bonds issued and outstanding in compliance with §7-88-107 and for which the issuer of the bonds or the lessor of the facility has entered into an interest rate swap or exchange agreement, an agreement establishing interest rate floors or ceilings, or both, and other interest rate hedging agreements as referenced in §9-21-305(c), under which:

The calculation of the lease payment due is to be based, in whole or in part, on such agreements;

The municipality is obligated to make lease payments from revenues available under §7-88-106(b) and revenues derived from the project; and

Under the terms of the lease the municipality has the right to direct or cause the issuer to exercise any rights, including the right of termination, under the agreement as if the municipality were a direct party to the agreement. A “structured lease agreement” shall also include a lease by a municipality of a public use facility where the lease payments are limited to a pledge of all proceeds or taxes received by the municipality pursuant to this chapter; and

“Tourism development zone” means an area in a municipality designated by ordinance or resolution of such municipality in which a qualified public use facility is located or planned, that is determined by the department of finance and administration to be a beneficially impacted area in accordance with the requirements of this chapter and that is certified as a tourism development zone by the department. The department, in its sole discretion, can reduce or reconfigure a tourism development zone proposed by a municipality.

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