50 ILCS 475/5-10

Definitions.

In this Act:

"Base year" means the calendar year immediately before the calendar year in which the Office of the Governor approves the first STAR bond project within the STAR bond district.

"Commence work" means the manifest commencement of actual operations on the development site, such as erecting a building, general on-site and off-site grading and utility installations, commencing design and construction documentation, ordering lead-time materials, excavating the ground to lay a foundation or a basement, or work of like description that a reasonable person would recognize as being done with the intention and purpose to continue work until the project is completed.

"Corporate authority" or "corporate authorities" means the county board of a county; the mayor and alderpersons or similar body when the reference is to cities; the president and trustees or similar body when the reference is to villages or incorporated towns; and the council when the reference is to municipalities under the commission form of government.

"De minimis amount" means an amount less than 15% of the land area within a STAR bond district.

"Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

"Developer" means any individual, corporation, trust, estate, partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability company, or other entity. "Developer" does not include a not-for-profit entity, political subdivision, or other agency or instrumentality of the State.

"Development user" means an owner, operator, licensee, codeveloper, subdeveloper, or tenant that: (i) operates a business within a STAR bond district that is a retail store, hotel, or entertainment venue; (ii) does not have another Illinois location within a 30-mile radius at the time of opening; and (iii) makes an initial capital investment, including project costs and other direct costs, of not less than $30,000,000 for the business.

"Director" means the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

"Economic development region" means the counties encompassed within any one of the 10 economic development regions recognized by the Department on the effective date of this Act.

"Eligible area" means contiguous parcels of real property that meet all of the following: (i) the property is directly and substantially benefited by the proposed STAR bond district plan; (ii) at least 50% of the total land area of the real property is located within an underserved area, as defined by the Department at the time the STAR bond district plan is submitted; (iii) the property is located in an area with not less than 10,000 residents within a 5-mile radius of the proposed district; (iv) the property is located 15 miles or less from either a State highway or federal interstate highway; and (v) the area is found by the governing body of the political subdivision to meet the following requirements:

(1) the use, condition, and character of the