§ 1.103-9 Interest on bonds to finance industrial parks. ( a ) *General rule.* ( 1 ) Under section 103(c)(5), interest paid on an issue of obligations issued by a State or local governmental unit (as defined in § 1.103-1) is not includable in gross income if substantially all of the proceeds of such issue is to be used to finance the acquisition or development of land as the site for an industrial park (referred to in this section as “industrial park bonds”). However, interest on an obligation of such an issue is includable in gross income if the obligation is held by a substantial user or a related person (as described in section 103(c)(7) and § 1.103-11). If substantially all of the proceeds of a bond issue is to be so used to finance an industrial park, the debt obligations are treated as obligations described in section 103(a)(1) and § 1.103-1 even though such obligations are industrial development bonds within the meaning of section 103(c)(2) and § 1.103-7. Whether substantially all of the proceeds of an issue of governmental obligations are used to finance an industrial park is determined consistently with the rules for exempt facilities in § 1.103-8(a)(1)(i).
( 2 ) The provisions of subparagraph (1) of this paragraph shall also apply to an issue of obligations substantially all of the proceeds of which is to be used to acquire or develop land as the site for an industrial park described in section 103(c)(5) and this section and for either or both of the following purposes: ( i ) To finance exempt facilities described in section 103(c)(4) and § 1.103-8,
( ii ) to finance facilities to be used by an exempt person.
( 3 ) Section 103(c)(5) only becomes applicable where the bond issue meets both the trade or business and the security interest tests so that the obligations are industrial development bonds within the meaning of section 103(c)(2). For the interrelationship of the rules provided in this section and the exemption for certain small issues provided in section 103(c)(6), see § 1.103-10.
( b ) *Definition of an industrial park.* For purposes of section 103(c)(5) and this section, the term “industrial park” means a tract of land, other than a tract of land intended for use by a single enterprise, suitable primarily for use as building sites by a group of enterprises engaged in industrial, distribution, or wholesale businesses if either— ( 1 ) The control and administration of the tract is vested in an exempt person (within the meaning of paragraph (b)(2) of § 1.103-7), or
( 2 ) The uses of the tract are normally ( i ) regulated by protective minimum restrictions, ordinarily including the size of individual sites, parking and loading regulations, and building setback lines, and
( ii ) designed to be compatible, under a comprehensive plan, with the community in which the industrial park is located and with the uses of the surrounding land.
( c ) *Development of land defined.* For purposes of section 103(c)(5) and this section, the term “development of land” includes the provision of certain improvements to an industrial park site if such improvements are incidental to the use of the land as an industrial park. Such incidental improvements include the building or installation of incidental water, sewer, sewage and waste disposal, drainage, or similar facilities (whether surface, subsurface, or both). Such incidental improvements include the provision of incidental transportation facilities, such as hard-surface roads (including curbs and gutters) and railroad spurs and sidings; power distribution facilities, such as gas and electric lines; and communication facilities. The provision of structures or buildings of any kind is not included within the meaning of the term “development of land,” except for those structures or buildings which are necessary in connection with the incidental improvements encompassed by the term, such as, for example, a water pumphouse and storage tank needed in connection with the incidental provision of water facilities in an industrial park.
( d ) *Examples.* The application of the rules contained in section 103(c)(5) and this section are illustrated by the following examples:
Example 1. City A and corporations X, Y, and Z (unrelated companies) enter into an arrangement under which A is to acquire a tract of land suitable for use as an industrial park. The arrangement provides that: (1) A will issue $10 million of bonds to be used for the acquisition and development of a suitable tract of land; (2) the tract will be controlled and administered by A, pursuant to a comprehensive zoning plan, for the use of a group of enterprises; (3) A will install necessary water, sewer, and drainage facilities on the tract; (4) A will sell substantial portions of the developed tract to X for use as a factory site and to Y for use as a warehouse site; (5) A will lease a sizeable portion of the tract to Z for 20 years as a distribution center site; and (6) the developed tract and the proceeds from the sale or lease of parts of the tract will be the security for the bonds. The bonds are industrial development bonds. Since, however, the proceeds of the issue are to be used for the acquisition and development of a tract of land as the site for an industrial park under section 103(c)(5), section 103(c)(1) does not apply unless the provisions of section 103(c)(7) and § 1.103-11 apply.
Example 2. The facts are the same as in example (1) except that $1 million of the proceeds of the $10 million issue are to be used for the construction of a factory by corporation W or X. The bonds are industrial development bonds. Under these circumstances, substantially all of the proceeds are treated as used or to be used for the acquisition and development of a tract of land as the site for an industrial park described in section 103(c)(5). Accordingly, section 103(c)(1) does not apply unless the provisions of section 103(c)(7) and § 1.103-11 apply.
[T.D. 7199, 37 FR 15494, Aug. 3, 1972, as amended by T.D. 7511, 42 FR 54285, Oct. 5, 1977]