ACWORTH - The state has approved the city of Acworth to use a program that encourages new businesses to relocate to the city or existing businesses to expand in the area through the use of tax credits.

Qualifying businesses will receive $3,500 per year per employee for every two or more positions created, Acworth City Manager Brian Bulthuis said.

The boundaries for the incentive encompass downtown Acworth, where the old Chevrolet building is on Main Street, extending along Main Street almost to the northern edge of the city, and also from Main Street along the Cherokee Street Corridor out to where the former K-Mart building stands near I-75, Bulthuis said.

Mayor Tommy Allegood called it a huge accomplishment.

"Our efforts over the years in recognizing areas that needed special attention is now supported by the state. We are excited and proud of what this will mean to the citizens of Acworth," he said.

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs designates governments as having "Opportunity Zones," where an undertaking of redevelopment and revitalization in older commercial areas has occurred. Acworth has initiated a redevelopment plan for its northern downtown area, which incorporates several large parcels where buildings were left vacant and dilapidated after businesses either moved or went under. The tax credit program, which was approved Tuesday, is effective immediately.

Acworth is the 20th out of Georgia's 534 cities to be approved for the program, Bulthuis said. Marietta became the first Cobb city to qualify in November.

Marietta's opportunity zones encompass parts of Roswell Street, the South Loop, Fairground Street, Franklin Road, Powder Springs Street, such as the dilapidated area around Sandtown Road, and some of the older industrial park areas along Interstate 75 and Canton Road, City Manger Bill Bruton said.

Shortly after getting approval from the state, Bruton said, "This is the biggest economic development tool that we have ever had to encourage the expansion of local business and the relocation of other businesses to Marietta."

Other counties that use the tax credit incentive include Augusta-Richmond, Norcross, Cherokee, Cornelia and Darien, said Beth Sessoms, Marietta's economic development manager.

For more information, contact Brandon Douglas, Acworth's economic development director, at (770) 974-3112.