2023 New York Laws › GMU - General Municipal › Article 15-A - Municipal Urban Renewal Agencies, Organization and Powers › 554 - Powers of an Agency.

§  554.  Powers  of  an  agency.  Subject to the provisions of article
  fifteen of this chapter, an agency is authorized to plan  and  undertake
  one  or  more urban renewal projects and shall have the powers necessary
  or convenient to carry out and effectuate such project or  projects  and
  the  purposes and provisions of this article and article fifteen of this
  chapter, including but not limited to the following powers: (1)  to  sue
  and  be  sued; (2) to have a seal and alter the same at pleasure; (3) to
  have perpetual succession; (4) to make and  execute  contracts  and  all
  other instruments necessary or convenient for the exercise of its powers
  and  functions;  (5)  to make and alter by-laws for its organization and
  internal management; (6) to acquire or  contract  to  acquire  from  any
  person, firm, corporation or government, by subsidy, contribution, gift,
  grant,  bequest,  devise,  purchase,  pursuant  to the provisions of the
  eminent domain procedure law, or otherwise, real or personal property or
  any interest therein, including but  not  limited  to  air  rights,  and
  easements or other rights of user, necessary for the use and development
  of  such  air  rights,  to  be  developed  as  air  rights sites for the
  elimination of the blighting influences over an area or areas consisting
  principally of land in  streets,  alleys,  highways,  and  other  public
  rights  of way, railway or subway tracks, bridge or tunnel approaches or
  entrances, or other similar facilities which have a blighting  influence
  on  the  surrounding  area  and  over  which  air rights sites are to be
  developed for the elimination of such  blighting  influences,  provided,
  however,  that  the  acquisition of any air rights over railroad tracks,
  rights-of-way or facilities  and  easements  or  other  rights  of  user
  necessary  for  the  use  and  development  of such air rights are to be
  subject to the provisions of section fifty-one-a of  the  railroad  law;
  (7)  to  appoint officers, agents and employees, prescribe their duties,
  fix their compensation and delegate to one or  more  of  such  officers,
  agents  or  employees  such  powers or duties as it may deem proper; (8)
  with the consent of the  municipality  to  use  agents,  employees,  and
  facilities  of  the  municipality, paying to the municipality its agreed
  proportion of the compensation or costs; (9) to insure  or  provide  for
  the  insurance of its property or operations as required by law and also
  against such other risks as it may deem advisable; (10)  to  invest  any
  moneys  held  in reserve or sinking funds or any moneys not required for
  immediate use or  disbursement  at  the  discretion  of  the  agency  in
  obligations  of the state or the United States government or obligations
  of which the principal and interest are guaranteed by the state  or  the
  United  States government; (11) to cooperate with the federal government
  and  apply  for  and  accept   advances,   loans,   grants,   subsidies,
  contributions  and  any  other  form  of  financial  assistance from the
  federal government, or from the state,  county,  municipality  or  other
  public  body  or from any sources public or private, for the purposes of
  this article and article fifteen of  this  chapter;  and  to  give  such
  security as may be required and to enter into and carry out contracts or
  agreements   in   connection  therewith;  provided,  however,  that  any
  application for a loan, subsidy or grant to the  federal  government  or
  the  state shall be subject to the prior approval of the governing body;
  and to include in any contract for financial assistance with the federal
  government for or with respect to an  urban  renewal  project,  or  with
  respect to any other program authorized under the federal housing act of
  nineteen  hundred  forty-nine, and all other federal laws amendatory and
  supplemental thereto, such conditions imposed pursuant to  federal  laws
  as  the  agency  may  deem  reasonable and appropriate and which are not
  inconsistent with the purposes of this article  or  article  fifteen  of
  this  chapter.  Such  conditions may include but shall not be limited to
  (a) provisions requiring payments  of  not  less  than  certain  minimum

  salaries  and  wages  to  architects,  engineers, technicians, laborers,
  mechanics and other personnel; (b) provisions  prohibiting  rebates  and
  kickbacks;  and  (c) provisions requiring contractors and subcontractors
  to  furnish  reports  and  other  data  to  the  secretary of labor; (d)
  provisions requiring payment of actual  reasonable  moving  and  related
  expenses   as   well   as   supplemental  and  additional  payments,  to
  individuals, families, business concerns or non-profit organizations due
  to displacement, so that disproportionate injuries are not suffered as a
  result of such program, as may be required by and pursuant to a  federal
  financial  assistance  contract.  (12) to apply for and accept the local
  grants-in-aid  required  under  such  federal  laws,  in  the  form   of
  appropriations,  cash,  municipal  services and facilities, or any other
  form; (13) to borrow money and issue bonds or other obligations; (14) to
  provide  for  demolition  and  clearance  of  property,  improvement  of
  property, or development and use of air rights and concomitant easements
  or  other  rights  of user necessary for the use and development of such
  air rights and air rights sites, including the remedying  of  unsuitable
  topographical,   subsoil  or  other  physical  conditions  which  impede
  development  within  the  urban  renewal  area,  and   construction   of
  foundations  and  platforms  as well as other necessary sitework, by the
  agency or by the municipality or by the persons, firm or corporation  to
  whom such property, air rights and easements or air rights site, is sold
  or  leased,  provided,  however,  that  any  such work upon or affecting
  railroad property, right-of-way or facilities shall be  subject  to  the
  approval  of  and joint supervision by the railroad company or companies
  affected. No work upon or affecting railroad property,  right-of-way  or
  facilities  shall  be  progressed  without  the approval of the railroad
  company or companies, and in connection with all such projects  upon  or
  affecting  railroad  property,  right-of-way  or  facilities appropriate
  standards for safety of operations, ventilation and  lighting  shall  be
  subject  to  the approval of the railroad company or companies affected;
  (15) to develop, test and report methods and techniques  and  carry  out
  demonstration  and other activities in relation to or in connection with
  one or more programs of urban renewal or other programs relating to  the
  arrest  and  prevention  of  conditions  of  deterioration or blight. In
  carrying out such demonstration  and  other  activities  an  agency  may
  itself  reconstruct, repair, rehabilitate or otherwise improve such real
  property or may sell, lease or otherwise dispose of real  property,  for
  the  effectuation  of  such  activities  or purposes by the purchaser or
  lessee thereof, pursuant to  the  provisions  of  section  five  hundred
  fifty-six  of  this  article;  (16) to prepare or cause to be prepared a
  general neighborhood renewal plan for an area  consisting  of  an  urban
  renewal  area  or  areas,  together  with  any  adjoining  areas  having
  specially related problems, and which is of such size that urban renewal
  activities may have to be initiated in stages; (17) to prepare or  cause
  to  be prepared a community-wide plan or program for urban renewal which
  shall conform to the comprehensive community plan for the development of
  the  municipality  as  a  whole;  (18)  to  conduct   examinations   and
  investigations,  hear  testimony and take proof, under oath at public or
  private hearings on any material matters. (19) to convey, assign,  grant
  or  otherwise transfer all of its right, title and interest in any urban
  renewal program, or part thereof, or any right, title or interest in  or
  to  any  real  or  personal  property, contract, claim or other interest
  acquired or held by it in connection with such program, or part thereof,
  with or without consideration, to the municipality, subject to the prior
  approval of the governing body, upon such terms and conditions as may be
  reasonable and appropriate to effectuate such transfer not  inconsistent
  with  the purposes of this article or article fifteen of this chapter or

  any contract for financial assistance from the  federal  government,  or
  from  the  state  or  other public body, for any of the purposes of such
  articles or either of them.