As part of North Carolina's Article 3J tax credits program, the Agrarian Growth Zone (AG Zone) and the Urban Progress Zone (UP Zone) programs provide economic incentives to stimulate new investment and job creation in economically distressed areas.
In order to establish a zone, a qualifying unit of local government must apply for zone designation to the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Division of Community Assistance. Zones become effective on the date the zone application is approved, and remain in effect through December 31 of the subsequent year. The appropriate program guidelines and applications follow.
Only a municipality with a population in excess of 10,000 may request the designation of an Urban Progress Zone.
In order to establish an UP Zone a municipality must complete and submit an application. There are guidelines to assist in the application process and provide details regarding the program. Below you will find both the application and guidelines to the North Carolina Urban Progress Zone program.
UPDATED UPZ Application 
UPZ Guidelines
*Do not set macro security to high when viewing the UPZ application. You must allow macros to run in order for the UPZ application to function properly.
Albemarle Asheboro Charlotte Concord Eden Fayetteville
Gastonia Hickory Kinston Lexington Mooresville New Bern
Raleigh Roanoke Rapids Salisbury Sanford Southern Pines
Thomasville Winston-Salem Salisbury (2) Kannapolis Greensboro Asheville Asheville (2)
2009-2010 Boundary Report
*Report will be updated in January 2010 to reflect expired and redesignated zones.
Detailed information as well as boundary descriptions on Urban Progress Zones can be found here.
For additional information, contact:
Will Best, AGZ & UPZ Programs
4313 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-4313
(919) 733-2850
FAX: (919) 733-5262
wbest@nccommerce.com