N.Y. General Municipal Law § 503: Powers of municipalities

§ 503. Powers of municipalities. Every municipality is hereby

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, including but not limited to the following powers:

(a) 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 or other public body, or from any sources public or private, for

the purposes of this article; and to give such security as may be

required and to enter into and carry out contracts or agreements in

connection therewith; 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 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 municipality may deem reasonable and

appropriate and which are not inconsistent with the purposes of this

article. Such conditions may include but shall not be limited to (1)

provisions requiring payment of not less than certain minimum salaries

and wages to architects, engineers, technicians, laborers, mechanics and

other personnel; (2) provisions prohibiting rebates and kick backs; and

(3) provisions requiring contractors and subcontractors to furnish

reports and other data to the secretary of labor;

(b) Provide local grants-in-aid, as provided under such federal laws,

in the form of appropriations, cash, municipal services and facilities,

or any other form;

(c) Borrow money and issue bonds or other obligations for the

acquisition of property in the same manner as for the acquisition of

property for other public purposes or as otherwise provided in article

two of the local finance law;

(d) 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 right 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 site work by the

municipality or by the person, 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. In the event

that such demolition, clearance, improvement or development is done by

the municipality or funded by the municipality, the cost thereof may be

financed in the same manner as acquisition costs. Any municipality with

a population of one million or more persons may provide a loan for the

purpose of carrying out such demolition, clearance, improvement or

development and use to the person, firm or corporation to whom such

property, air rights, easements or air rights site is sold or leased.

Such loans shall be made upon terms and conditions approved by the

agency, for a term not to exceed thirty years;

(e) 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 a municipality may

itself reconstruct, repair, rehabilitate or otherwise improve such real

property or may sell, lease or otherwise dispose of such real property,

for the effectuation of such activities or purposes by the purchaser or

lessee thereof, pursuant to the provisions of section five hundred seven

of this article;

(f) 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;

(g) 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.

(h) for the purpose of preserving the integrity of an urban renewal

plan, to require, for a maximum period of three years after approval of

an urban renewal plan pursuant to section five hundred five of this

article, the consent of the agency to the issuance of a building

construction or alteration permit or certificate of occupancy for a

structure or use within the urban renewal area or within that part or

portion of such area for which a plan has been so approved (except for

construction, alteration or use which is necessary for the immediate

protection of public health or safety). Such consent shall be based upon

a determination by the agency that the proposed construction, alteration

or use is not inconsistent with the plan.

(i) notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained elsewhere in

this chapter, or in any general, special or local law, in addition to

any other powers of a municipality, to appropriate the necessary funds

for and authorize the payment of the actual reasonable moving and

related expenses as well as supplemental and additional payments to be

paid to individuals, families, business concerns or non-profit

organizations displaced by reason of urban renewal or other

federally-aided activities, so that disproportionate injuries are not

suffered as a result of such programs, in accordance with federal law,

rules and regulations, as may be imposed by any contract for financial

assistance between the municipality and federal government, in

connection with an urban renewal project or other authorized program,

pursuant to such conditions as the municipality may deem reasonable and

appropriate and which are not inconsistent with the purposes of this

article.