The Business Incubator Center, administrator of the Mesa County Enterprise Zone, announced Downtown Grand Junction has officially been reinstated into the Mesa County Enterprise Zone following approval of a boundary amendment by the Colorado Economic Development Commission.

According to a news release from the Business Incubator Center, the amendment restores Census Tract 3 to Enterprise Zone eligibility for the next 10 years. Tract 3 includes the downtown corridor between First and Seventh Streets and from Pitkin Avenue to North Avenue.

The news release said the change was made possible through newly released 2024 Census data confirming the tract now meets the State of Colorado’s qualifying thresholds for economic distress.

“Enterprise Zone redesignation is a signal to entrepreneurs and investors that a community is open for business and willing to back that up with real incentives,” Business Incubator Center CEO Dalida Sassoon Bollig said. “So when the redesignation left parts of Mesa County out, including Downtown Grand Junction, we got to work. We ran the analysis, made the case to OEDIT and successfully brought those areas back in.

“For the businesses that ended up outside the new boundaries, we also advocated for robust grandfathering through 2035, so they wouldn’t lose ground. The Enterprise Zone now reflects what our regional economy actually looks like, and that’s how it should be.”

Beginning immediately, qualifying businesses operating within the newly reinstated area may be eligible for a range of Colorado state-income-tax credits tied to investments in their operations. Eligible activities can include:

• New job creation.
• Employee training costs.
• Equipment and capital purchases.
• Research and development activities.
• Rehabilitation of qualifying vacant buildings.

Among the available incentives is the Vacant Building Rehabilitation Credit, which covers 25 percent of qualifying rehabilitation costs for buildings that are vacant for two years or longer, as well as the Job Creation Tax Credit, which provides $1,100 per new employee.

These incentives, the news release said, are available to qualifying for-profit businesses of various sizes and stages that are making investments in their businesses and the local economy.

Businesses interested in utilizing Enterprise Zone credits must complete annual pre-certification through the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) portal before undertaking qualifying activities.

Business owners are encouraged to pre-certify immediately for the 2026 tax year and consult with the Mesa County Enterprise Zone office to determine eligibility and maximize available incentives.

Information, eligibility maps, and certification links are available online at the Business Incubator Center Enterprise Zone page.

Questions regarding eligibility and pre-certification may be directed to Kristin Rau, Mesa County’s enterprise zone administrator, by emailing mcezadmin@gjincubator.org.

The Business Incubator Center said it also recognizes and appreciates the support of the Downtown Development Authority in the successful application to the Colorado Economic Development Commission.

Businesses are encouraged to explore opportunities to potentially stack Enterprise Zone incentives with DDA incentive programs to maximize investment opportunities.