(a) The authority shall be authorized to construct, maintain, control, operate, and manage a civic center in the City of Florence. The authority shall be authorized to construct, maintain, control, operate, and manage all or any of the following to be situated in the civic center: Buildings to provide offices to be used by the State of Alabama or by any agency, subdivision, or public corporation thereof or by the county or by one or more municipalities thereof for any municipal purpose otherwise authorized by law and buildings to house or accommodate public facilities of the State of Alabama or of any agency, subdivision, or public corporation thereof or of the county or of any one or more of the municipalities for any municipal purpose otherwise authorized by law; streets, boulevards, walkways, parkways, and parks; monuments, statues, and other structures beautifying the civic center; community houses or meeting houses and auditoriums; arenas; convention halls and convention sites; music halls and art museums; places of recreation; art exhibits and other exhibits for the advancement of the humanities and the cultural development and edification of the citizens of the county and of the municipalities located therein.

(b) The authority shall have the power to do all of the following:

(1) Sue and be sued.

(2) Acquire property and rights and interests in property by gift, lease, or purchase or by the exercise of eminent domain.

(3) Have a seal and alter the same at pleasure.

(4) Appoint officers, agents, employees, and attorneys, and to fix their compensation.

(5) Make bylaws for the management and regulation of its affairs.

(6) Make contracts, and to execute all instruments necessary or convenient to lease or purchase and own real or personal property to be used for the furtherance of the purposes for the accomplishment of which the Authority is created.

(7) Arrange, sponsor, and conduct programs and exhibits in the civic center for the advancement of the cultural, civic, and scientific interests and welfare of the citizens of the county and of the municipalities thereof and for the advancement of the humanities.

(8) Promote, sponsor, and operate in the civic center exhibitions and recreational activities.

(9) Charge fees for admission.

(10) Lease or sublease to the State of Alabama or any agency, political corporation, or subdivision thereof, or to the county or to any municipality of the county, or to other persons any property owned or leased by or under control of the authority; to purchase or lease real property and rights or easements therein necessary or convenient for its corporate purposes and to use the same so long as its corporate existence shall continue.

(11) Accept or receive gifts, bequests, and devises.

(12) All things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers expressly given herein.

(c) For the aforesaid purposes and for no other purposes the authority shall be authorized to use and apply the proceeds of any taxes which the Legislature provides shall be payable to the authority.

(d) Subject to the conditions stated hereinbelow, the county and each municipality thereof are authorized, but not required: To lease, sell, donate, or otherwise convey to the authority real or personal property, including park properties, without authorization by election of the qualified voters of the county or of the municipality; and to appropriate public funds of the county or of the municipality, as the case may be, to the authority, to be used by the authority for purposes hereinabove enumerated. The county shall not lease, sell, donate, or convey any property to the authority, or appropriate any money to the authority, unless the governing body of the county has determined that such lease, sale, donation, conveyance, or appropriation will benefit the people of the county to such an extent as to fully warrant and justify the lease, sale, donation, conveyance, or appropriation; and no municipality shall lease, sell, donate, or convey any property to the authority or appropriate any money to the authority unless the governing body of the municipality has determined that such lease, sale, donation, conveyance, or appropriation will benefit the people of the municipality to such an extent as to fully warrant and justify the lease, sale, donation, conveyance, or appropriation.

(e) The authority shall be authorized to invest any of its funds not needed to meet disbursements, in bonds or obligations of the United States of America or to deposit such funds in any bank or building and loan association, provided such deposit is fully insured by a federal corporation or agency of the federal government insuring deposits in financial institutions, or secured by a deposit of bonds or obligations of the United States of America.

(f) This part shall not be construed to limit the right, power, or authority of any municipality to operate facilities similar to the facilities provided for by this part. Without limiting the generality of the next foregoing sentence, it is expressly provided that this part shall not in any way affect any auditorium, art museum, or other facility presently owned or hereafter acquired by any municipality, whether situated in the civic center or elsewhere.