(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 45-41A-10.19) 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 45-41A-10.09, mortgages and deeds of 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 hereby 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 of 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 to 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, deed 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 retain 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 Lee 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:

Beginning at the intersection of the centerline of South College Street and East Thach Avenue then running easterly along the centerline of East Thach Avenue until intersection with the centerline of Armstrong Street then proceeding in a northerly direction along the Urban Core boundary, established by the City of Auburn Zoning Ordinance dated November 20, 1984, to the centerline of East Magnolia Avenue, then easterly along the centerline of East Magnolia Avenue until the intersection of the centerline of East Magnolia Avenue with the centerline of South Ross Street, then northerly along the centerline of South Ross Street, continuing on the centerline of North Ross Street until the intersection of the centerline of North Ross Street with the Western Kentucky Railroad Line, then running westerly along the Western Kentucky Railroad Line to the intersection of the northwestern boundary of the established Urban Core, then southerly following the established Urban Core boundary until meeting the centerline of West Glenn Avenue, then proceeding westerly along the centerline of West Glenn Avenue until intersection with the centerline of Toomer Street, then proceeding southerly along the centerline of Toomer Street until intersection with the centerline of West Magnolia Avenue, then proceeding easterly along the centerline of West Magnolia Avenue, then proceeding easterly along the centerline of West Magnolia Avenue until intersection with the centerline of South College Street, then proceeding southerly along the centerline of South College Street until the intersection of the centerline of South College Street with the centerline of East Thach Avenue.