The New York State Empire Zones Program is sponsored by New York State & the Empire State Development office in Albany.  The City of Utica Empire Zone was designated on June 22, 1988 and is designed to: ·         Encourage business creation, expansion and renovation ·         Stimulate increased employment ·         Foster improvement in general living conditions In order to become certified for Zone benefits, a business must: ·        Create new jobs and/or investment ·       Show evidence that jobs created will not have the effect of shifting jobs from one locality or business to another within the state. ·        Enhance the economic climate of the Zone.  To receive certification a business must obtain a joint certification application from the Utica EZ office located at 1 Kennedy Plaza, Utica, New York 13502.  Upon completion, it will be reviewed by both the Zone Coordinator and Zone Certification Officer for local approval.  If approved, it is then sent to the Department Of Labor and the Department of Economic Development for final certification.  This process will take approximately six to eight weeks. Jack N. Spaeth Zone Coordinator City of Utica Empire Zone 1 Kennedy Plaza Utica, New York 13502 jspaeth@cityofutica.com