New York Laws
Article 15 - Urban Renewal
503 - Powers of Municipalities.

(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.