Over the past two years, a deterrent to seeking City Revitalization and Improvement Zone designation has been the program's strict eligibility requirements.

In July 2013, Gov. Tom Corbett signed the CRIZ program into law in conjunction with the 2013-14 state budget to spur new growth in eligible cities to attract development, revive downtowns and create jobs for residents in the regions.However, at that time, the program was available only to cities of 30,000 population or greater, with a limit of only two awards.The requirements were so tight that only a few communities were eligible: Erie, Reading, Lancaster, Bethlehem, Altoona, Wilkes-Barre, Chester and York.Turns out, Bethlehem and Lancaster won out and achieved the designation.But one year later, the state Legislature approved a technical amendment enabling a borough or township with a population of 7,000 or more to create a contracting authority which can then be used to apply for a Pilot Zone.That modification opened the door for Tamaqua, where officials pounced on the opportunity and submitted an application.The new legislation permitted up to two CRIZ designations and one Pilot Zone approval before 2016, then up to two additional CRIZ designations each year beginning in 2016.