§ 597.300 - HUD action and review of nominations for designation.

(a) Establishment of submission procedures. HUD will establish a time period and procedures for the submission of nominations for designation as Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities, including submission deadlines and addresses, in a Notice Inviting Applications, to be published in the Federal Register.

(b) Acceptance for processing. (1) HUD will accept for processing those nominations for designation as Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities which HUD determines have met the criteria required by this part. HUD will notify the State(s) and local government(s) whether or not the nomination has been accepted for processing. The criteria for acceptance for processing are as follows:

(2) The nomination for designation as an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community must be received by HUD on or before the time on the date established by the Notice Inviting Applications published in the Federal Register. The nomination for designation as an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community must be complete and must be accompanied by a strategic plan, as required by §597.200(c), and the certifications required by §597.202(b).

(c) Evaluation of nominations. In the process of reviewing each nomination accepted for processing, HUD may undertake a site visit(s) to any nominated area to aid in the process of evaluation.

(d) Modification of the strategic plan, boundaries of nominated urban areas, and/or period during which designation is in effect. Subject to the limitations imposed by §597.100, HUD may negotiate reasonable modifications of the strategic plan, the proposed boundaries of a nominated urban area, or the term for which a designation is to remain in full effect, to ensure maximum efficiency and fairness in the provision of assistance to such areas.

(e) Publication of designations. Announcements of those nominated urban areas designated as Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities will be made by publication of a Notice in the Federal Register.