To be eligible for Keene’s 79-E Tax Relief Program, a project must meet three main criteria.
1. Substantial Rehabilitation or Replacement
Your project must either:
Substantially Rehabilitate a Building
- The investment must be at least 15% of the building’s current assessed value, or $75,000—whichever is less.
- For historic buildings, the requirement is 10% or $5,000 (whichever is less), focused on energy efficiency improvements following federal historic rehab standards.
Replace an Existing Building
- You can remove or demolish an existing building only if it has no significant historic, cultural, or architectural value.
- The public benefit of replacement must be greater than what rehabilitation would provide.
2. Location in the 79-E District & Qualification by Use
The building must be in the Keene 79-E Incentive District.
Eligible buildings include:
- Non-residential structures
- Mixed-use buildings with less than 50% residential space
- Residential buildings within the district
3. Public Benefit
To qualify, your project must provide at least one of the following State-defined public benefits:
- Boosts downtown economic activity
- Preserves or improves a historic or culturally important building
- Reuses existing building stock
- Supports vibrant, walkable town or city centers
- Adds new housing in downtown or urban areas
Keene’s Additional Public Benefits
Keene also considers how well your project aligns with local goals. These can influence how much tax relief you receive:
- Follows the City’s Comprehensive Master Plan
- Creates at least one new full-time job in downtown
- Supports public art
- Meets green building standards (like LEED or Green Globes)
- Encourages or maintains owner-occupied housing
- Improves energy performance, with:
- A home energy score of at least 6, and
- A 10% reduction in carbon emissions
Note: Your project doesn’t need to meet all these benefits—but the more it does, the more tax relief it may qualify for.
Contact Us
Email the Community Development Department or call us at (603) 352-5440
Check out the RSA 79-E Program Guide for full details.
View the 79-E Tax Relief Application.