N.Y. General Municipal Law § 691: Policy and purposes of article

§ 691. Policy and purposes of article. There exist in many

municipalities within this state municipally-owned areas which were

acquired pursuant to the urban renewal powers delineated in article

fifteen of this chapter or through condemnation for projects now

abandoned or as a direct result of previous landowners' failure to meet

in full their real estate tax or other obligations or through

proceedings relating to abandoned multiple dwellings or which consist of

municipal facilities no longer needed for public purposes. These areas

are residential, non-residential, commercial, industrial, municipal

facilities or vacant areas, and combinations thereof, which are slum or

blighted, or which are becoming slum or blighted areas because of

substandard, insanitary, deteriorated or deteriorating conditions,

factors, and characteristics, with or without tangible physical blight.

The existence of such areas constitutes a serious and growing menace, is

injurious to the public safety, health, morals and welfare, contributes

increasingly to the spread of crime, juvenile delinquency and disease,

necessitates excessive and disproportionate expenditures of public funds

for all forms of public service and maintenance and constitutes a

negative influence on adjacent properties impairing their economic

soundness and stability, thereby threatening the source of public

revenues.

In order to protect and promote the safety, health, morals and welfare

of the people of the state and to promote the sound growth and

development of our municipalities, it is necessary to provide incentives

for the correction of such substandard, insanitary, blighted,

deteriorated or deteriorating conditions, factors, and characteristics

by the clearance, replanning, reconstruction, redevelopment,

rehabilitation, restoration or conservation of such areas, the

undertaking of public and private improvement programs related thereto

and the encouragement and participation in these programs by private

enterprise.

Moreover in order to assure that each segment of our society,

particularly enterprises experienced in the construction of one to four

family residential structures and business enterprises which are

controlled by members of minorities, is accorded a real and proper

ability to participate in projects to be undertaken pursuant to this

article, it must be the public policy of each municipality operating

pursuant to the provisions hereof to take such initiatives as are

appropriate to effect such participation.

It is necessary for the accomplishment of such purposes to grant

municipalities of this state the rights and powers provided in this

article. The use of such rights and powers to correct such conditions,

factors and characteristics and to eliminate or prevent the development

and spread of deterioration and blight through the clearance,

replanning, reconstruction, rehabilitation, conservation or renewal of

such areas, for residential, commercial, industrial, community, public

and other uses is a public use and public purpose essential to the

public interest, and for which public funds may be expended.