§ 17-4750 — Sale, lease or transfer of property in urban renewal area; owner of property preference to purchase

(a) A municipality may sell, lease or otherwise transfer real property or any interest therein acquired by it, and may enter into contracts with respect thereto, in an urban renewal area for residential, recreational, commercial, industrial or other uses or for public use, or may retain such property or interest for public use, in accordance with the urban renewal plan, subject to such covenants, conditions and restrictions, including covenants running with the land (and including the incorporation by reference therein of the provisions of an urban renewal plan or any part thereof), as it may deem to be in the public interest or necessary to carry out the purposes of this act: Provided, That such sale, lease, other transfer, or retention, and any agreement relating thereto, may be made only after the approval of the urban renewal plan by the local governing body. The purchasers or lessees and their successors and assigns shall be obligated to devote such real property only to the uses specified in the urban renewal plan, and may be obligated to comply with such other requirements as the municipality may determine to be in the public interest, including the obligation to begin within a reasonable time any improvements on such real property required by the urban renewal plan. Such real property or interest shall be sold, leased, otherwise transferred, or retained at not less than its fair value for uses in accordance with the urban renewal plan. In determining the fair value of real property for uses in accordance with the urban renewal plan, a municipality shall take into account and give consideration to the uses provided in such plan; the restrictions upon, and covenants, conditions and obligations assumed by the purchaser or lessee or by the municipality retaining the property; and the objectives of such plan for the prevention of the recurrence of slum or blighted areas. The municipality in any instrument of conveyance to a private purchaser or lessee may provide that such purchaser or lessee shall be without power to sell, lease or otherwise transfer the real property without the prior written consent of the municipality until he has completed the construction of any and all improvements which he has obligated himself to construct thereon. Real property acquired by a municipality which, in accordance with the provisions of the urban renewal plan, is to be transferred, shall be transferred as rapidly as feasible in the public interest consistent with the carrying out of the provisions of the urban renewal plan. The inclusion in any such contract or conveyance to a purchaser or lessee of any such covenants, restrictions or conditions (including the incorporation by reference therein of the provisions of an urban renewal plan or any part thereof) shall not prevent the filing of such contract or conveyance in the office of the register of deeds of the county in such manner as to afford actual or constructive notice thereof.
(b) A municipality may dispose of real property in an urban renewal area to private persons only under such reasonable competitive bidding procedures as it shall prescribe or as hereinafter provided in this subsection: Provided, however, Any person or persons who singly or together were the owners of any real property in an urban renewal area, which property was acquired by a municipality by condemnation, purchase or otherwise, shall have a preference to purchase such property subject to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section but without compliance with the provisions of this subsection (b), and the municipality shall accept any proposal for such a purchase if it deems it to be in the public interest and in furtherance of the purposes of this act and if such bid is equal to or greater than other bids received. A municipality may, by public notice by publication once each week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper having general circulation in the community, prior to the execution of any contract to sell, lease or otherwise transfer real property and prior to the delivery of any instrument of conveyance with respect thereto under the provisions of this section, invite proposals from and make available all pertinent information to private redevelopers or any persons interested in undertaking to redevelop or rehabilitate an urban renewal area, or any part thereof. Such notice shall identify the area, or portion thereof, and shall state that such further information as is available may be obtained at such office as shall be designated in said notice. The municipality shall consider all such redevelopment of rehabilitation proposals and the financial and legal ability of the persons making such proposals to carry them out, and may negotiate with any persons for proposals for the purchase, lease or other transfer of any real property acquired by the municipality in the urban renewal area. The municipality may accept such proposal as it deems to be in the public interest and in furtherance of the purposes of this act: Provided, That a notification of intention to accept such proposal shall be filed with the governing body not less than thirty (30) days prior to any such acceptance. Thereafter, the municipality may execute such contract in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) and deliver deeds, leases and other instruments and take all steps necessary to effectuate such contract.
(c) A municipality may temporarily operate and maintain real property acquired in an urban renewal area pending the disposition of the property for redevelopment, without regard to the provisions of subsection (a) above, for such uses and purposes as may be deemed desirable even though not in conformity with the urban renewal plan.

Legislative History

L. 1955, ch. 86, § 9; L. 1968, ch. 230, § 1; July 1.