Sec. 7. (a) In carrying out its duties and purposes under this chapter, the commission may do the following:

(1) Acquire by purchase, exchange, gift, grant, lease, or condemnation, or any combination of methods, any real or personal property or interest in property needed for the redevelopment of areas needing redevelopment that are located within the redevelopment district.

(2) Hold, use, sell (by conveyance by deed, land sale contract, or other instrument), exchange, lease, rent, invest in, or otherwise dispose of, through any combination of methods, property acquired for use in the redevelopment of areas needing redevelopment on the terms and conditions that the commission considers best for the city and its inhabitants.

(3) Acquire from and sell, lease, or grant interests in all or part of the real property acquired for redevelopment purposes to any other department of the city, or to any other governmental agency, for public ways, levees, sewerage, parks, playgrounds, schools, and other public purposes, on any terms that may be agreed upon.

(4) Clear real property acquired for redevelopment purposes.

(5) Enter on or into, inspect, investigate, and assess real property and structures acquired or to be acquired for redevelopment purposes to determine the existence, source, nature, and extent of any environmental contamination, including the following:

(A) Hazardous substances.

(B) Petroleum.

(C) Other pollutants.

(6) Remediate environmental contamination, including the following, found on any real property or structures acquired for redevelopment purposes:

(A) Hazardous substances.

(B) Petroleum.

(C) Other pollutants.

(7) Repair and maintain structures acquired or to be acquired for redevelopment purposes.

(8) Enter upon, survey, or examine any land, to determine whether it should be included within an area needing redevelopment to be acquired for redevelopment purposes, and determine the value of that land.

(9) Appear before any other department or agency of the city, or before any other governmental agency in respect to any matter affecting:

(A) real property acquired or being acquired for redevelopment purposes; or

(B) any area needing redevelopment within the jurisdiction of the commission.

(10) Subject to section 13 of this chapter, exercise the power of eminent domain in the name of the city, within the redevelopment district, in the manner prescribed by this chapter.

(11) Establish a uniform fee schedule whenever appropriate for the performance of governmental assistance, or for providing materials and supplies to private persons in project or program related activities.

(12) Expend, on behalf of the redevelopment district, all or any part of the money available for the purposes of this chapter.

(13) Contract for the construction, extension, or improvement of pedestrian skyways.

(14) Accept loans, grants, and other forms of financial assistance from the federal government, the state government, a municipal corporation, a special taxing district, a foundation, or any other source.

(15) Provide financial assistance (including grants and loans) to enable individuals and families to purchase or lease residential units in a multiple unit residential structure within the district. However, financial assistance may be provided only to those individuals and families whose income is at or below the county's median income for individuals and families, respectively.

(16) Provide financial assistance (including grants and loans) to neighborhood development corporations to permit them to:

(A) provide financial assistance for the purposes described in subdivision (15); or

(B) construct, rehabilitate, or repair commercial property within the district.

(17) Require as a condition of financial assistance to the owner of a multiple unit residential structure that any of the units leased by the owner must be leased:

(A) for a period to be determined by the commission, which may not be less than five (5) years;

(B) to families whose income does not exceed eighty percent (80%) of the county's median income for families; and

(C) at an affordable rate.

Conditions imposed by the commission under this subdivision remain in force throughout the period determined under clause (A), even if the owner sells, leases, or conveys the property. The subsequent owner or lessee is bound by the conditions for the remainder of the period.

(18) Provide programs in job training, job enrichment, and basic skill development for residents of an enterprise zone.

(19) Provide loans and grants for the purpose of stimulating business activity in an enterprise zone or providing employment for residents of an enterprise zone.

(20) Contract for the construction, extension, or improvement of:

(A) public ways, sidewalks, sewers, waterlines, parking facilities, park or recreational areas, or other local public improvements (as defined in IC 36-7-15.3-6) or structures that are necessary for redevelopment of areas needing redevelopment or economic development within the redevelopment district; or

(B) any structure that enhances development or economic development.

(21) This subdivision does not apply to a redevelopment commission in a county for which the total amount of net property taxes allocated to all allocation areas or other tax increment financing areas established by a redevelopment commission, military base reuse authority, military base development authority, or another similar entity in the county in the preceding calendar year exceeded nineteen percent (19%) of the total net property taxes billed in the county in the preceding calendar year. Subject to prior approval by the fiscal body of the unit that established the redevelopment commission, expend money and provide financial assistance (including grants and loans):

(A) in direct support of:

(i) an active military base located within the unit; or

(ii) an entity located in the territory or facilities of a military base or former military base within the unit that is scheduled for closing or is completely or partially inactive or closed, or an entity that is located in any territory or facilities of the United States Department of Defense within the unit that are scheduled for closing or are completely or partially inactive or closed;

including direct support for the promotion of the active military base or entity, the growth of the active military base or entity, and activities at the active military base or entity; and

(B) in support of any other entity that provides services or direct support to an active military base or entity described in clause (A).

The fiscal body of the unit that established the redevelopment commission must separately approve each grant, loan, or other expenditure for financial assistance under this subdivision. The terms of any loan that is made under this subdivision may be changed only if the change is approved by the fiscal body of the unit that established the redevelopment commission. As used in this subdivision, "active military base" has the meaning set forth in IC 36-1-4-20.

(b) In addition to its powers under subsection (a), the commission may plan and undertake, alone or in cooperation with other agencies, projects for the redevelopment of, rehabilitating, preventing the spread of, or eliminating slums or areas needing redevelopment, both residential and nonresidential, which projects may include any of the following:

(1) The repair or rehabilitation of buildings or other improvements by the commission, owners, or tenants.

(2) The acquisition of real property.

(3) Either of the following with respect to environmental contamination on real property:

(A) Investigation.

(B) Remediation.

(4) The demolition and removal of buildings or improvements on buildings acquired by the commission where necessary for any of the following:

(A) To eliminate unhealthful, unsanitary, or unsafe conditions.

(B) To mitigate or eliminate environmental contamination.

(C) To lessen density.

(D) To reduce traffic hazards.

(E) To eliminate obsolete or other uses detrimental to public welfare.

(F) To otherwise remove or prevent the conditions described in IC 36-7-1-3.

(G) To provide land for needed public facilities.

(5) The preparation of sites and the construction of improvements (such as public ways and utility connections) to facilitate the sale or lease of property.

(6) The construction of buildings or facilities for residential, commercial, industrial, public, or other uses.

(7) The disposition in accordance with this chapter, for uses in accordance with the plans for the projects, of any property acquired in connection with the projects.

(c) The commission may use its powers under this chapter relative to real property and interests in real property obtained by voluntary sale or transfer, even though the real property and interests in real property are not located in a redevelopment or urban renewal project area established by the adoption and confirmation of a resolution under sections 8(c), 9, 10, and 11 of this chapter. In acquiring real property and interests in real property outside of a redevelopment or urban renewal project area, the commission shall comply with section 12(b) through 12(e) of this chapter. The commission shall hold, develop, use, and dispose of this real property and interests in real property substantially in accordance with section 15 of this chapter.

(d) As used in this section, "pedestrian skyway" means a pedestrian walkway within or outside of the public right-of-way and through and above public or private property and buildings, including all structural supports required to connect skyways to buildings or buildings under construction. Pedestrian skyways constructed, extended, or improved over or through public or private property constitute public property and public improvements, constitute a public use and purpose, and do not require vacation of any public way or other property.

(e) All powers that may be exercised under this chapter by the commission may also be exercised by the commission in carrying out its duties and purposes under IC 36-7-15.3.

As added by Acts 1982, P.L.77, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.358-1983, SEC.1; P.L.23-1984, SEC.17; P.L.84-1987, SEC.6; P.L.193-1988, SEC.1; P.L.2-1989, SEC.31; P.L.14-1991, SEC.14; P.L.185-2005, SEC.28; P.L.221-2007, SEC.42; P.L.146-2008, SEC.744; P.L.149-2014, SEC.34; P.L.95-2014, SEC.4.