Editing Plainfield, New Jersey (section)

==Economy==
[[File:171-185 North Avenue, Plainfield, NJ.jpg|thumb|[[North Avenue Commercial District]]]]
[[File:City Hall, Plainfield, NJ.jpg|thumb|City Hall in the [[Plainfield Civic District]]]]
[[File:Antique Castle (WT Orville House); Plainfield, NJ.jpg|thumb|Orville Taylor Waring House; Plainfield, NJ]]
Portions of Plainfield are part of an [[Urban Enterprise Zone]]. The city was selected in 1983 as one of the initial group of 10 zones chosen to participate in the program.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/dca/affiliates/uez/publications/pdf/tax_q&a_052709.pdf ''Urban Enterprise Zone Tax Questions and Answers''], [[New Jersey Department of Community Affairs]], May 2009. Accessed October 28, 2019. "The Urban Enterprise Zone Program (UEZ) was enacted in 1983. It authorized the designation of ten zones by the New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zone Authority: Camden, Newark, Bridgeton, Trenton, Plainfield, Elizabeth, Jersey City, Kearny, Orange and Millville/Vineland (joint zone)."</ref> In addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% [[sales tax]] rate (half of the {{frac|6|5|8}}% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants.<ref>[https://www.nj.gov/dca/affiliates/uez/about/ Urban Enterprise Zone Program], [[New Jersey Department of Community Affairs]]. Accessed October 27, 2019. "Businesses participating in the UEZ Program can charge half the standard sales tax rate on certain purchases, currently 3.3125% effective 1/1/2018"</ref> Established in January 1986, the city's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in December 2023.<ref>[https://www.nj.gov/dca/affiliates/uez/publications/pdf/ZONE%20EXPIRATION%20DATES%20-%202018.pdf Urban Enterprise Zone Effective and Expiration Dates], [[New Jersey Department of Community Affairs]]. Accessed January 8, 2018.</ref>

The UEZ program in Plainfield and four other original UEZ cities had been allowed to lapse as of January 1, 2017, after Governor [[Chris Christie]], who called the program an "abject failure", vetoed a compromise bill that would have extended the status for two years.<ref>Racioppi, Dustin. [https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2017/02/10/christie-conditionally-vetos-uez-extension/97747842/ "Christie vetoes urban enterprise zone extension"], ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]'', February 10, 2017. Accessed November 19, 2019. "Gov. Chris Christie on Friday conditionally vetoed the Legislature's attempt to extend the Urban Enterprise Zone status for its five charter communities, calling the economic revitalization program an 'abject failure' with a 'devastating impact' on state revenue.... The Legislature returned with what it called a compromise bill, A-4189, to extend the designation for two years instead of 10 for the first five UEZs &ndash; Bridgeton, Camden, Newark, Plainfield and Trenton &ndash; which expired on Jan. 1."</ref> In May 2018, Governor [[Phil Murphy]] signed a law that reinstated the program in these five cities and extended the expiration date in other zones.<ref>[https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/ueznotice.shtml "Notice: Law Reinstates Five Urban Enterprise Zones And Also Extends The Expiration Date Of 12 Other UEZs"], [[New Jersey Department of the Treasury]] Division of Taxation, May 30, 2018. Accessed November 19, 2019. "On May 30, 2018, Governor Murphy signed Senate Bill 846 (A3549). The law reinstated five expired Urban Enterprise Zones (UEZs). If your business is located in one of these zones, you may file an application to establish qualified business status. (Past certifications are no longer valid in these five zones). The five UEZs are in: *Bridgeton *Camden *Newark *Plainfield *Trenton. The UEZs in the five locations listed above expire on December 31, 2023."</ref>

Downtown Plainfield has two historic commercial districts: the [[North Avenue Commercial District]] and the [[Plainfield Civic District]]. Both are on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>[http://downtownplainfield.com/historicdistricts/ Historic Districts] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327023605/http://downtownplainfield.com/historicdistricts/ |date=March 27, 2018 }}, Downtown Plainfield Alliance. Accessed June 10, 2018.</ref>

* The North Avenue Commercial District features the Downtown train station, post office, and Plainfield National Bank (now PNC Bank). The architecture of the district reflects original exterior 19th and early 20th century façade architecture.
* The Plainfield Civic District features architecture reflective of the turn-of-the-century City Beautiful Movement, including the City Hall building, YMCA, City Hall Annex, and World War I monument on Watchung Avenue.

Events such as the Christmas Tree Lighting, the Queen City 5k, Fire Safety Fair, and Mayor's Wellness Walk take place in the Downtown each year.<ref name="downtownplainfield"/>

Downtown Plainfield Alliance (DPA) is a "nonpolitical, nonprofit grassroots group that supports the improvement of Downtown Plainfield through beautification, volunteerism, economic development, marketing, community development, and activism."<ref name="downtownplainfield">{{cite web|url=http://www.downtownplainfield.com/|website=downtownplainfield.com|title=Downtown Plainfield|access-date=April 18, 2018|archive-date=April 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180419183920/http://downtownplainfield.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref>