The state has decided to help boost business and industrial expansion in the Quad Cities and western Illinois. Wednesday, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity approved enterprise zones for the Illinois Quad Cities and for Henry County.
Denise Bulat, executive director of the Bi-State Regional Commission which helped submit both applications, says businesses and companies in these zones do not have to pay sales tax when they buy building materials.
The Quad Cities zone includes parts of Rock Island, Moline, East Moline, Silvis, Milan, and Rock Island County.
"They identified areas within their boundaries that are likely areas for commercial and industrial building and expansion. And those are the areas where the focus will be for the enterprise zone."
The Quad Cities previously had an enterprise zone that lasted for 25 years, but it expired last March.
Bulat says that zone helped a variety of local companies including John Deere, and many home builders. The new zone will help with development of The Bend in East Moline - the mixed use project on the former site of the CNH factory.
