1. a) The Authority will review those projects for which completed applications have been submitted within the deadlines established under this Subpart. By vote of its members, subject to the availability of funds, the Authority will select for grants those projects which advance the objectives of the Act. In making its selection under this Subpart, the Authority shall take into account the following selection criteria, giving greatest weight to subsections (a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3) and (a)(5):

   1. 1) The level of economic distress within the municipality or the project area. The level of distress of an area may be evidenced by a number of factors, including:

      1. A) Age and condition of buildings, structures, and public infrastructure in the area;
      2. B) Population growth or decline;
      3. C) Level of unemployment in the area; and
      4. D) Percentage of community residents with low or moderate income;
   2. 2) Extent of economic or social benefits of the project on adjacent areas and persons residing therein, including benefits to persons of low and moderate income;
   3. 3) Number of construction jobs and permanent full-time job equivalents created; jobs will be weighted more heavily if those jobs are to be filled by persons eligible for assistance under the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 USC 2801);
   4. 4) The number and type of housing units provided for persons of low and moderate income;
   5. 5) The relative size of the leveraging ratio, including the sources of non-program funds used to leverage the project;
   6. 6) The projected impact of the project on the tax revenues (income, property, sales, utility) of the State, the applicant municipality, and other units of government;
   7. 7) The nature of the commitment from the participants;
   8. 8) The readiness of the project to proceed;
   9. 9) Evidence of the project's economic and financial feasibility;
   10. 10) The physical design of the project (e.g. functional suitability, aesthetic design, energy efficiency); and,
   11. 11) Evidence of the municipality's and private participants' capacity to undertake the project (e.g. credit history, past performance in similar projects).
2. b) Upon the request of the municipality, the Authority may determine that certain criteria are not relevant to the nature of the project proposed for funding.

(Source: Recodified from 14 Ill. Adm. Code 1200.300 at 31 Ill. Reg. 12104)