As used in this chapter, the term:

(1) "Ad valorem property taxes" means all ad valorem property taxes levied by each political subdivision and each county and independent board of education consenting to the inclusion of that board of education's property taxes as being applicable to a tax allocation district as provided by Code Section 36-44-9, except those ad valorem property taxes levied to repay bonded indebtedness.

(2) "Area of operation" means, in the case of a municipality or its redevelopment agency, the territory lying within the corporate limits of such municipality; in the case of a county or its redevelopment agency, the territory lying within the unincorporated area of the county; and, in the case of a consolidated government or its redevelopment agency, the area lying within the territorial boundaries of the consolidated government. "Area of operation" may also mean the combined areas of operation of political subdivisions which participate in the creation of a common redevelopment agency to serve such participating political subdivisions as provided in subsection (d) of Code Section 36-44-4.

(3) "Local legislative body" means the official or body in which the legislative powers of a political subdivision are vested.

(4) "Political subdivision" means any county, municipality, or consolidated government of this state.

(5) "Redevelopment" means any activity, project, or service necessary or incidental to achieving the development or revitalization of a redevelopment area or a portion thereof designated for redevelopment by a redevelopment plan or the preservation or improvement of historical or natural assets within a redevelopment area or a portion thereof designated for redevelopment by a redevelopment plan. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, redevelopment may include any one or more of the following:

(A) The construction of any building or other facility for use in any business, commercial, industrial, governmental, educational, charitable, or social activity;

(B) The renovation, rehabilitation, reconstruction, remodeling, repair, demolition, alteration, or expansion of any existing building or other facility for use in any business, commercial, industrial, governmental, educational, charitable, or social activity;

(C) The construction, reconstruction, renovation, rehabilitation, remodeling, repair, demolition, alteration, or expansion of public or private housing;

(D) The construction, reconstruction, renovation, rehabilitation, remodeling, repair, demolition, alteration, or expansion of public works or other public facilities necessary or incidental to the provision of governmental services; (E) The identification, preservation, renovation, rehabilitation, reconstruction, remodeling, repair, demolition, alteration, or restoration of buildings or sites which are of historical significance;

(F) The preservation, protection, renovation, rehabilitation, restoration, alteration, improvement, maintenance, and creation of open spaces or green spaces;

(G) The development, construction, reconstruction, repair, demolition, alteration, or expansion of structures, equipment, and facilities for mass transit;

(H) The development, construction, reconstruction, renovation, rehabilitation, repair, demolition, alteration, or expansion of telecommunication infrastructure;

(I) The development, construction, reconstruction, renovation, rehabilitation, repair, demolition, alteration, or expansion of facilities for the improvement of pedestrian access and safety;

(J) Improving or increasing the value of property; and

(K) The acquisition and retention or acquisition and disposition of property for redevelopment purposes or the use for redevelopment purposes of property already owned by a political subdivision or any agency or instrumentality thereof.

(6) "Redevelopment agency" means the local legislative body of a political subdivision or a public body corporate and politic created as the redevelopment agency of the political subdivision or an existing public body corporate and politic designated as the redevelopment agency of the political subdivision pursuant to Code Section 36-44-4.

(7) "Redevelopment area" means:

(A) Any urbanized or developed area in which the structures, buildings, or improvements, by reason of dilapidation, deterioration, age, or obsolescence, inadequate provision for ventilation, light, air, sanitation, or open spaces, high density of population and overcrowding, or the existence of conditions which endanger life or property by fire and other causes, or any combination of such factors, is conducive to ill health, transmission of disease, infant mortality, high unemployment, juvenile delinquency, or crime and is detrimental to the public health, safety, morals, or welfare;

(B) Any urbanized or developed area which by reason of the presence of a predominant number of substandard, slum, deteriorated, or deteriorating structures; the predominance of defective or inadequate street layout, inadequate parking, roadways, bridges, or public transportation facilities incapable of handling the volume of traffic flow into or through the area, either at present or following proposed redevelopment; the faulty lot layout in relation to size, adequacy, accessibility, or usefulness; unsanitary or unsafe conditions; deterioration of site or other improvements; the diversity of ownership, tax, or special assessment delinquency exceeding the fair value of the land; diversity of ownership on defective or unusual conditions of title which prevent or encumber the free alienability of land; or the existence of conditions which endanger life or property by fire and other causes; or any combination of the foregoing, substantially impairs or arrests the sound growth of the community, retards the provision of housing accommodations or employment opportunities; or constitutes an economic or social liability and is a menace to the public health, safety, morals, or welfare in its present condition and use;

(C) Any open area located within an urbanized or developed area within the corporate limits of a municipality which because of any factor or combination of factors enumerated in subparagraph (A) or (B) of this paragraph substantially impairs or arrests the sound growth of the community;

(D) Any area located within an urbanized or developed area and which, immediately prior to becoming an open area, qualified as a redevelopment area under subparagraph (A) or (B) of this paragraph;

(E) Any area located within an urbanized or developed area which is substantially underutilized by containing open lots or parcels of land or by containing a substantial number of buildings or structures which are 40 years old or older or by containing structures or buildings of relatively low value as compared to the value of structures or buildings in the vicinity of the area or by having development impaired by airport and related transportation noise or by related environmental factors or an area in which there is a shortage of housing that is affordable for persons of low or moderate income which the local legislative body designates as appropriate for community redevelopment or by any combination of the foregoing factors;

(F) Any geographic area designated within the comprehensive plan of a political subdivision for redevelopment which has previously been developed for commercial, residential, industrial, office, or similar or ancillary uses and which lies within the service delivery area of the political subdivision, in which the current condition of the area is less desirable than the redevelopment of the area for new commercial, residential, industrial, office, or other uses, or a combination of uses, including the provision of open space or pedestrian and transit improvements, and any geographic area that is adversely affected by airport or transportation related noise or other environmental degradation, contamination, or other environmental factors which the political subdivision has determined to be impairing or retarding the redevelopment of the area; or

(G) Any area combining any factors specified in subparagraphs (A) through (F) of this paragraph.

(8) "Redevelopment costs" means any expenditures made or estimated to be made or monetary obligations incurred or estimated to be incurred to achieve the redevelopment of a redevelopment area or any portion thereof designated by a redevelopment plan or any expenditures made to carry out or exercise any powers granted by this chapter. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, redevelopment costs may include any one or more of the following:

(A) Capital costs, including the costs incurred or estimated to be incurred for the construction of public works or improvements, new buildings, structures, and fixtures; the renovation, rehabilitation, reconstruction, remodeling, repair, demolition, alteration, or expansion of existing buildings, structures, and fixtures; the acquisition of equipment; and the clearing and grading of land;

(B) Financing costs, including, but not limited to, all necessary and incidental expenses related to the issuance of obligations and which may include payment of interest on any obligations issued under this chapter occurring during the estimated period of construction of any project with respect to which any capital costs within the meaning of subparagraph (A) of this paragraph are financed in whole or in part by such obligations and for a period not to exceed 42 months after completion of any such construction and including reasonable reserves related thereto and all principal and interest paid to holders of evidences of indebtedness issued to pay for other redevelopment costs and any premium paid over the principal amount thereof because of the redemption of such obligations prior to maturity;

(C) Professional service costs, including those costs incurred for architectural, planning, engineering, financial, marketing, and legal advice and services;

(D) Imputed administrative costs, including reasonable charges for the time spent by public employees in connection with the implementation of a redevelopment plan;

(E) Relocation costs as authorized by a redevelopment plan for persons or businesses displaced by the implementation of a redevelopment plan, including but not limited to, those relocation payments made following condemnation under Chapter 4 of Title 22, "The Georgia Relocation Assistance and Land Acquisition Policy Act";

(F) Organizational costs, including the costs of conducting environmental impact and other studies, and the costs of informing the public with respect to the creation and implementation of redevelopment plans;

(G) Payments by one political subdivision to a political subdivision or board of education in lieu of taxes to compensate for any loss of tax revenues or for any capital costs incurred because of redevelopment activity; and

(H) Real property assembly costs.

(9) "Redevelopment plan" means a written plan of redevelopment for a redevelopment area or a designated portion thereof which:

(A) Specifies the boundaries of the proposed redevelopment area;

(B) Explains the grounds for a finding by the local legislative body that the redevelopment area on the whole has not been subject to growth and development through private enterprise and would not reasonably be anticipated to be developed without the approval of the redevelopment plan or that the redevelopment area includes one or more natural or historical assets which have not been adequately preserved or protected and such asset or assets would not reasonably be anticipated to be adequately preserved or protected without the approval of the redevelopment plan;

(C) Explains the proposed uses after redevelopment of real property within the redevelopment area;

(D) Describes any redevelopment projects within the redevelopment area proposed to be authorized by the redevelopment plan, estimates the cost thereof, and explains the proposed method of financing such projects;

(E) Describes any contracts, agreements, or other instruments creating an obligation for more than one year which are proposed to be entered into by the political subdivision or its redevelopment agency or both for the purpose of implementing the redevelopment plan;

(F) Describes the type of relocation payments proposed to be authorized by the redevelopment plan;

(G) Includes a statement that the proposed redevelopment plan conforms with the local comprehensive plan, master plan, zoning ordinance, and building codes of the political subdivision or explains any exceptions thereto;

(H) Estimates redevelopment costs to be incurred or made during the course of implementing the redevelopment plan;

(I) Recites the last known assessed valuation of the redevelopment area and the estimated assessed valuation after redevelopment;

(J) Provides that property which is to be redeveloped under the plan and which is either designated as a historic property under Article 2 of Chapter 10 of Title 44, the "Georgia Historic Preservation Act," or is listed on or has been determined by any federal agency to be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places will not be:

(i) Substantially altered in any way inconsistent with technical standards for rehabilitation; or

(ii) Demolished unless feasibility for reuse has been evaluated based on technical standards for the review of historic preservation projects,

which technical standards for rehabilitation and review shall be those used by the state historic preservation officer, although nothing in this subparagraph shall be construed to require approval of a redevelopment plan or any part thereof by the state historic preservation officer;

(K) Specifies the proposed effective date for the creation of the tax allocation district and the proposed termination date;

(L) Contains a map specifying the boundaries of the proposed tax allocation district and showing existing uses and conditions of real property in the proposed tax allocation district; (M) Specifies the estimated tax allocation increment base of the proposed tax allocation district;

(N) Specifies property taxes for computing tax allocation increments determined in accordance with Code Section 36-44-9 and supported by any resolution required under paragraph (2) of Code Section 36-44-8;

(O) Specifies the amount of the proposed tax allocation bond issue or issues and the term and assumed rate of interest applicable thereto;

(P) Estimates positive tax allocation increments for the period covered by the term of the proposed tax allocation bonds;

(Q) Specifies the property proposed to be pledged for payment or security for payment of tax allocation bonds which property may include positive tax allocation increments derived from the tax allocation district, all or part of general funds derived from the tax allocation district, and any other property from which bonds may be paid under Code Section 36-44-14, subject to the limitations of Code Sections 36-44-9 and 36-44-20; and

(R) Includes such other information as may be required by resolution of the political subdivision whose area of operation includes the proposed redevelopment area.

(10) "Resolution" means a resolution or ordinance by which a local legislative body takes official legislative action.

(11) "Special fund" means the fund provided for in subsection (c) of Code Section 36-44-11.

(12) "Tax allocation bonds" means one or more series of bonds, notes, or other obligations issued by a political subdivision to finance, wholly or partly, redevelopment costs within a tax allocation district and which are issued on the basis of pledging for the payment or security for payment of such bonds positive tax allocation increments derived from the tax allocation district, all or part of general funds derived from the tax allocation district, and any other property from which bonds may be paid under Code Section 36-44-14, as determined by the political subdivision subject to the limitations of Code Sections 36-44-9 and 36-44-20. Tax allocation bonds shall not constitute debt within the meaning of Article IX, Section V of the Constitution.

(13) "Tax allocation district" means a contiguous geographic area within a redevelopment area which is defined and created by resolution of the local legislative body of a political subdivision pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of Code Section 36-44-8 for the purpose of issuing tax allocation bonds to finance, wholly or partly, redevelopment costs within the area.

(14) "Tax allocation increment" means that amount obtained by multiplying the total ad valorem property taxes, determined as provided in Code Section 36-44-9, levied on all taxable property within a tax allocation district in any year by a fraction having a numerator equal to that year's taxable value of all taxable property within the tax allocation district minus the tax allocation increment base and a denominator equal to that year's taxable value of all taxable property within the tax allocation district. In any year, a tax allocation increment is "positive" if the tax allocation increment base is less than that year's taxable value of all taxable property and "negative" if such base exceeds such taxable value.

(15) "Tax allocation increment base" means the taxable value of all taxable property, as certified by the state revenue commissioner, located within a tax allocation district on the effective date such district is created pursuant to Code Section 36-44-8.

(16) "Taxable property" means real and personal property subject to ad valorem property taxes of a political subdivision, including property subject to local ad valorem taxation for educational purposes.

(17) "Taxable value" means the current assessed value of taxable property as shown on the tax digest of the county in which the property is located.