City of Memphis - PILOT Program

The City of Memphis PILOT program offers up to 15 years of property tax abatement for new construction or significant renovations that achieve LEED or Net Zero Certification, provided your project meets three of six criteria (such as redeveloping blighted property, adaptive reuse, infill development, historic renovation, or achieving green certification) and is located in the Memphis Central Business Improvement District. To apply, you'll need to work with the Downtown Memphis Commission to certify your project meets the eligibility requirements and obtain the necessary green building certification.

This program creates opportunities for projects in the Central Business Improvement District that pursue LEED or Net Zero Certification alongside qualifying redevelopment activities, offering clients a significant 15-year tax incentive that can improve project economics. You'll need to ensure clients understand that projects must meet three of the specified criteria and that DMC staff will verify property status and project alignment with program goals during the application process.

The PILOT program provides 15-year tax abatements (versus shorter periods for other projects) to incentivize new construction and significant renovations achieving LEED or Net Zero Certification within the Central Business Improvement District; projects must satisfy three of six criteria including blighted property redevelopment, adaptive reuse, infill development, historic preservation, or sustainability certification, with one geographic priority (Accelerate Anchor, designated retail node, Downtown Core, or census tract with poverty over 20%) potentially counting toward qualification. The program targets commercial, residential, multifamily, and low-income residential sectors to drive downtown revitalization and green building adoption.