The city of Kenai is expanding land development and leasing incentives across the city.

Incentives for development include no lease payments for up to five years and opportunities for lease with the option to purchase.

Kenai City Manager Paul Ostrander said the Kenai City Council wanted to find a way to encourage responsible growth and development within the city, and tasked the city’s administration to come up with ways the city could work together with local business owners.

“We’re encouraging people to invest in the city, and in return the city will provide a lease credit for that investment,” Ostrander said.

A commitment from business partners will be part of the requirement for the incentives, Ostrander said.

He said that as far as he is aware, it’s the first time the city has offered incentives of this kind.

There are more than 300 eligible properties, including at the Kenai Municipal Airport and all of the city-owned land inventory, according to a Feb. 11 press release from the city of Kenai. All properties are raw land and do not include any brick and mortar structures.

“One of the city’s greatest assets is its land inventory, and we are committed to utilizing city lands to spur responsible economic growth and improve the quality of life for Kenai residents through these incentives, as well as creating an environment that makes Kenai the best place to do business,” Kenai Mayor Brian Gabriel said in the city’s press release.

An inventory of the city’s available land can be found through the city manager’s office.

Lease applications and instructions are available on the city of Kenai’s website at www.kenai.city/lands. For more information on how the incentives may work for your business, contact Kenai’s Planning and Zoning Office at 907-283-8235 or eappleby@kenai.city.