The Miami Dade Empowerment Zone Initiative (formerly known as the Miami-Dade Empowerment Trust), is the end result of a broad community process first initiated in 1994.  At that time, residents came together to create the framework for a strategic plan which lifted a vision for community empowerment.  From their deliberations, a five point plan was created which identified the following key goals and strategies:

• Jobs and Pathways
• Building in the Zone
• Growing New Businesses
• Sustainable Community Development: People and Places
• Wired-Information Technology in the Zone

As a result of the Federal Empowerment Zone Round Two selection process, Miami Dade County received a formal Empowerment Zone designation, which allowed it to receive grant funding and authorized the County to provide tax incentives to businesses located through out the eight Empowerment Zone neighborhoods. The following links to this website will provide you with information regarding program allocations, boundaries of the EZ neighborhoods and the requirements of the tax incentive programs.

The ten year Empowerment Zone designation has been extended to December 2010. At which time, all incentives connected to this program will expire.

Please contact Karen P. Moore, Executive Director of the Empowerment Zone Initiatives and Miami-Dade Task  Force on Urban Economic Revitalization Section, at 786-469-2100, if you should have any questions regarding these programs.