(a) The authority shall have the following powers, together with all powers incidental thereto or necessary to the discharge thereof in corporate form:

(1) To have succession by its corporate name for the duration of time (which may be perpetuity, subject to Section 45-23A-91.19) specified in its certificate of incorporation.

(2) To sue and be sued in its own name and to prosecute and defend civil actions in any court having jurisdiction of the subject matter and of the parties.

(3) To adopt and make use of a corporate seal and to alter the same at pleasure.

(4) To adopt and alter bylaws for the regulation and conduct of its affairs and business.

(5) To acquire, whether by purchase, construction, exchange, gift, lease, or otherwise and to refinance existing indebtedness on, improve, maintain, equip, and furnish one or more projects, including all real and personal properties which the board of the authority may deem necessary in connection therewith, regardless of whether or not any such projects shall then be in existence.

(6) To lease to others any or all of its projects and to charge and collect rent therefor, and to terminate any such lease upon the failure of the lessee to comply with any of the obligations thereof.

(7) To sell, exchange, donate, or convey and to grant options to any lessee to acquire any of its projects and any or all of its properties whenever its board shall find any such action to be in furtherance of the purposes for which the authority was organized.

(8) To issue its bonds for the purpose of carrying out any of its powers.

(9) To mortgage and pledge any or all of its projects or any part or parts thereof, as security for the payment of the principal of and interest on any bonds so issued and any agreements made in connection therewith, whether then owned or thereafter acquired, and to pledge the revenues and receipts therefrom or from any thereof.

(10) To execute and deliver, in accordance with this section and Section 45-23A-91.09, mortgages and deeds of trust and trust indentures, or either.

(11) To finance (by loan, grant, lease, or otherwise), construct, erect, assemble, purchase, acquire, own, repair, remodel, renovate, rehabilitate, modify, maintain, extend, improve, install, sell, equip, expand, add to, operate, or manage projects and to pay the cost of any project from the proceeds of bonds, or any other funds of the authority, or from any contributions or loans by persons, corporations, partnerships (limited or general), or other entities, all of which the authority is authorized to receive and accept and use.

(12) To issue and use the proceeds thereof for the purpose of paying, or loaning the proceeds thereof to pay all or any part of the cost of any project and otherwise to further or carry out the public purpose of the authority and to pay all costs of the authority incident to, or necessary and appropriate to, furthering or carrying out such purpose.

(13) To make application directly or indirectly to any federal, state, county, or municipal government or agency or to any other source, public or private, for loans, grants, guarantees, or other financial assistance in furtherance of the authority's public purpose and to accept and use the same upon such terms and conditions as are prescribed by such federal, state, county, or municipal government or agency or other source.

(14) To enter into agreements with the federal government or any agency thereof to use the facilities or the services of the federal government or any agency thereof in order to further or carry out the public purposes of the authority.

(15) To contract for any period with the State of Alabama, state institutions or any city, town, municipality, or county of the state for the use by the authority of any facilities or services of the state or any such state institution, city, town, municipality, or county, or for the use by any state institution or any city, town, municipality, or county of any facilities or services of the authority, provided such contracts shall deal with such activities and transactions as the authority and any such political subdivision with which the authority contracts are by law authorized to undertake.

(16) To extend credit or make loans to any person, corporation, partnership (limited or general), or other entity for the costs of any project or any part of the costs of any project, which credit or loans may be evidenced or secured by loan agreements, notes, mortgages, deeds to secure debt, trust deeds, security agreements, assignments, or such other instruments or by rentals, revenues, fees, or charges, upon such terms and conditions as the authority shall determine to be reasonable in connection with such extension of credit or loans, including provision for the establishment and maintenance of reserve funds, and, in the exercise of powers granted hereby in connection with any project, the authority shall have the right and power to require the inclusion in any such loan agreement, note, mortgage, deed to secure debt, trust deed, security agreement, assignment, or other instrument of such provisions or requirements for guaranty of any obligations, insurance, construction, use, operation, maintenance, and financing of a project, and such other terms and conditions, as the authority may deem necessary or desirable.

(17) To acquire, accept, or retrain equitable interests, security interests, or other interests in any real property, personal property, or fixtures by loan agreement, note, mortgage, deed to secure debt, trust deed, security agreement, assignment, pledge, conveyance, contract, lien, loan agreement, or other consensual transfer in order to secure the repayment of any monies loaned or credit extended by the authority.

(18) To appoint, employ, contract with, and provide for the compensation of, such officers, employees, and agents, including but without limitation to engineers, attorneys, contractors, consultants, and fiscal advisors, as the board shall deem necessary for the conduct of the business of the authority.

(19) To provide for such insurance as the board may deem advisable.

(20) To make, enter into, and execute such contracts, agreements, leases, and other instruments and to take such other actions as may be necessary or convenient to accomplish any purpose for which the authority was organized or to exercise any power expressly granted hereunder.

(21) To require payments in lieu of taxes to be made by the lessee of the project to either the authority or the city.

(22) To receive and use the proceeds of any tax levied by a municipal corporation to pay the costs of any project or for any other purpose for which the authority may use its own funds pursuant to this part.

(23) To encourage and promote the improvement and revitalization of the downtown development area and to make, contract for, or otherwise cause to be made long-range plans or proposals for the downtown development area in cooperation with the city or Dale County.

(24) To exercise any power granted by the laws of the State of Alabama to public or private corporations which is not in conflict with the public purpose of the authority.

(25) To do all things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers conferred by this part.

(b) All projects of the authority shall be located wholly within the corporate limits of the city and shall be in the downtown development area, which shall include the following area:

All land lying within the following described boundary: Beginning at the intersection of College Street and East Andrews Avenue; then easterly along East Andrews Avenue to Acker Avenue; then in a northerly direction along Acker Avenue to Hull Street; then in an easterly direction along Hull Street to Ed Lisenby Drive; then in an easterly direction along Ed Lisenby Drive to West Broad Street; then easterly along West Broad Street to Wilkins Street; then northerly along Wilkins Street to Merrick Avenue; then northerly along Merrick Avenue to Simmons Street and an unnamed alley; then easterly along the unnamed alley to North Union Avenue; then southerly along North Union Avenue to East Avenue; then southerly along East Avenue to Railroad Street; then easterly along Railroad Street to Mutual Street; then southerly along Mutual Street to East Broad Street; then westerly along East Broad Street to East Avenue; then southerly along East Avenue to Eufaula Street; then easterly along Eufaula Street to Deer Avenue; then southerly along Deer Avenue to East College Street; then westerly along College Street to East Andrews Avenue and the point of beginning. Also, including the entire widths of the rights of way of the portions of the streets and railroads forming the above described boundary as well as property abutting either side of the rights of way of such streets and railroads.