Section 1709 - Powers of an AuthorityAn Authority shall constitute a public body, corporate and politic, exercising public powers of the Commonwealth as an agency thereof, which powers shall include all powers necessary or appropriate to carry out and effectuate the purposes and provisions of this act, including the following powers in addition to those herein otherwise granted:
(a) To procure from the planning commission the designation of areas in need of redevelopment and its recommendations for such redevelopment;(b) To study the recommendations of the planning commission for redevelopment of any area and to make its own additional investigations and recommendations thereon; to initiate preliminary studies of possible redevelopment areas to make and assist in implementing (1) plans for carrying out a program of voluntary repair, rehabilitation and conservation of real property, buildings and improvements, (2) plans for the enforcement of laws, codes and regulations relating to the use of land and the use and occupancy of buildings and improvements, (3) plans for the relocation of persons (including families, business concerns and others) displaced by any other Government activities related to the purposes of this act or any activities of the Authority, (4) preliminary plans outlining redevelopment activities for neighborhoods to embrace two or more redevelopment areas, and (5) preliminary surveys to determine if the undertaking and carrying out of a redevelopment project are feasible;(c) To cooperate with any government, school district or municipality;(d) To act as agent of the State or Federal Government or any of its instrumentalities or agencies for the public purposes set out in this act;(e) To arrange or contract with any municipality located, in whole or in part, within the Authority's field of operation, or with the State or Federal Government for the furnishing planning, replanning, constructing, installing, opening or closing of streets, roads, roadways, alleys, sidewalks or other places or facilities, or for the acquisition by such municipality, or State or Federal Government of property options or property rights or for the furnishing of property or services in connection with a redevelopment area;(f) To arrange or contract with the Commonwealth, its agencies, and any municipality to the extent that it is within the scope of their respective functions-- (1) to cause the services customarily provided by each of them to be rendered for the benefits of such Authority or the occupants of any redevelopment area; and (2)to provide and maintain parks, recreational centers, schools, sewerage, transportation, water and other municipal facilities adjacent to or in connection with redevelopment areas; and (3)to plan, replan, zone or rezone any part of the municipality in connection with any redevelopment proposal of the Authority; (g) To enter upon any building or property in order to make surveys or soundings;(h) To assemble, purchase, obtain options upon, acquire by gift, grant, bequest, devise or otherwise any real or personal property or any interest therein from any person, firm, corporation, municipality or government: Provided, That no real property, located outside of a redevelopment area, which is not necessary to the corporate purposes of the Authority nor necessary to the successful redevelopment of a redevelopment area, shall be purchased by the Authority;(i) To acquire by eminent domain any real property, including improvements and fixtures for the public purposes set forth in this act, in the manner hereinafter provided, except real property located outside a redevelopment area;(j) To own, hold, clear, improve and manage real property;(k) To sell, lease or otherwise transfer any real property located outside of a redevelopment area and, subject to approval by the local governing body, any real property in a redevelopment area: Provided, That with respect to a redevelopment area the Authority finds that the sale, lease or other transfer of any part will not be prejudicial to the sale or lease of other parts of the redevelopment area, nor be in any other way prejudicial to the realization of the redevelopment proposal approved by the governing body;(l) To reimburse for their reasonable expenses of removal, any persons (including families, business concerns and others), who have been displaced as a result of any other Government activities related to the purposes of this act or any activities of the Authority;(m) To insure or provide for the insurance of any property or operations of the Authority against any risks or hazards;(n) To procure or agree to the procural of insurance or guarantees from the State or Federal Government of the payments of any debts or parts thereof incurred by the Authority, and to pay premiums in connection therewith;(o) To borrow from private lenders or from the State or Federal Government funds, as may be necessary, for the operation and work of the Authority;(p) To invest any funds held in reserves or sinking funds or any funds not required for immediate disbursement, in such investments as may be lawful for executors, administrators, guardians, trustees and other fiduciaries under the laws of this Commonwealth;(r) To adopt a seal and to alter the same at pleasure;(s) To have perpetual succession;(t) To make and execute contracts and other instruments necessary or convenient to the exercise of the powers of the Authority; and any contract or instrument when signed by the chairman or vice-chairman of the Authority, or by an authorized use of their facsimile signatures, and by the secretary or assistant secretary, or, treasurer or assistant treasurer of the Authority, or by an authorized use of their facsimile signatures, shall be held to have been properly executed for and on its behalf;(u) To make and from time to time to amend and repeal by-laws, rules, regulations and resolutions;(v) To conduct examinations and investigations and to hear testimony and take proof, under oath or affirmation, at public or private hearings, on any matter material for its information;(w) To authorize any member or members of the Authority to conduct hearings and to administer oaths, take affidavits and issue subpoenas;(x) To issue subpoenas requiring the attendance of witnesses and the production of books and papers pertinent to any hearing before the Authority, or before one or more members of the Authority appointed by it to conduct such hearing;(y) To apply to any court having territorial jurisdiction of the offense to have punished for contempt any witness, who refuses to obey a subpoena, or who refuses to be sworn or affirmed, or to testify, or, who is guilty of any contempt after summons to appear;(z) To make available to the government or municipality or any appropriate agency, board or commission, the recommendations of the Authority affecting any area in its field of operation or property therein, which it may deem likely to promote the public health, morals, safety or welfare;(aa) To make, directly or indirectly, secured or unsecured loans to any purchaser or owner of a residential housing or a commercial or an industrial project for the purpose of financing the purchase, construction, rehabilitation, demolition or equipping of a residential housing or a commercial and industrial redevelopment program;(bb) To make loans to or deposits with, at the option of the Authority, without requiring collateral security therefor, any financial institution, in order to enable that financial institution to finance the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation or equipping of a residential housing or a commercial and industrial redevelopment program. For such purposes, an Authority may make such loans as the Authority may determine; receive interest on such deposits as may be agreed to with the financial institution; purchase and hold notes or other obligations secured by mortgages, deeds of trust or security interests in residential housing, commercial or industrial projects or property used as additional security, notwithstanding anything to the contrary elsewhere contained in this act; sell, assign, pledge or encumber any security, including mortgages or other security agreements, held by or granted to the Authority or received in connection with the financing of residential housing or commercial or industrial projects and grant to any trustee, in addition to any other rights or remedies contained therein or in any documents granting such security, such other rights and remedies as may be approved by the Authority.1945, May 24, P.L. 991, § 9. Amended 1951, Sept. 29, P.L. 1650, § 1; 1953, July 27, P.L. 622, No. 179, § 1; 1957, May 27, P.L. 197, § 2; 1959, Dec. 1, P.L. 1637, No. 603, § 2; 1963, June 6, P.L. 79, § 1; 1968, June 26, P.L. 263, No. 125, §§ 9 to 12; 1988 , March 30, P.L. 304, No. 39, § 3, imd. effective.