(A) The Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism may designate no more than four extraordinary retail establishments as defined in § 12-21-6520(14), and for purposes of this section, sales taxes must be substituted for admissions taxes wherever admission tax appears in this Tourism Infrastructure Admissions Tax Act. For purposes of this section, additional infrastructure improvements include any aquarium or natural history exhibits or museum located within or directly contiguous to the extraordinary retail establishment which are dedicated to public use and enjoyment under such terms and conditions as may be required by the municipality or county in which they are located. Additional infrastructure improvements also shall include site prep, construction of real or personal property, parking, roadways, ingress and egress, utilities, and other expenditures on the extraordinary retail establishment which directly support or service the aquarium or natural history museum or exhibits. The certification application made under this section must be executed by both the extraordinary retail establishment as well as the county or municipality.

(B) Prior to the completion of an extraordinary retail establishment, an entity may request that the county or municipality in which the facility is located provide an application for conditional certification to the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. The Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism may grant conditional certification to the entity as an extraordinary retail establishment based on reasonable projections that the facility will meet the requirements of § 12-21-6520(14) within three years of the certificate of occupancy. If the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism grants the conditional certification to the entity as an extraordinary retail establishment, it shall forward the approval for conditional certification to the department. The department shall notify the entity and either the county or the municipality, as applicable, of the approval.

Terms Used In South Carolina Code 12-21-6590

  • Benefit period: means a fifteen-year period commencing on the first day of the first month after the date on which the department approves the certification application. See South Carolina Code 12-21-6520
  • Certification application: means an application submitted by a county or municipality to the department requesting that the department approve a major tourism or recreation facility or a major tourism or recreation area for the benefits available under §§ 12-21-6530 and 12-21-6540. See South Carolina Code 12-21-6520
  • Council: means the Advisory Coordinating Council for Economic Development. See South Carolina Code 12-21-6520
  • Department: means the South Carolina Department of Revenue. See South Carolina Code 12-21-6520
  • Establishment: means either a major tourism or recreation facility or a tourism or recreation facility located within a major tourism or recreation area. See South Carolina Code 12-21-6520
  • Major tourism or recreation facility: means a tourism or recreation facility in which an aggregate investment in land and capital assets of at least twenty million dollars is made at the facility, or as otherwise provided in § 12-21-6560, within the investment period. See South Carolina Code 12-21-6520
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.

An applicant obtaining conditional certification as an extraordinary retail establishment under this section and satisfying the requirements of conditional certification by the dates provided therein, shall be deemed to satisfy all of the requirements of this article pertaining to qualification as an extraordinary retail establishment for the duration of the benefit period. The entity shall be deemed to constitute a major tourism or recreation facility under § 12-21-6520(12) and shall be entitled to all of the benefits of this article for the duration of the benefit period without any further certification requirements. This subsection shall not be construed to allow an applicant to receive the benefits provided in this article prior to satisfying the requirements of the conditional certification and of § 12-21-6520(14).

The Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism shall develop application forms and adopt guidelines governing the conditional certification process.

(C) If an applicant obtains conditional certification and complies with both the conditional certification and § 12-21-6520(14), then one-half shall be substituted for one-fourth in § 12-21-6530(A), and no funds will be transferred to the council pursuant to § 12-21-6540.

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