Authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City, to acquire fee simple title or a lesser interest by purchase, condemnation or otherwise, in parcels of land generally in the area bounded by Susquehanna, Lambert, Norris, 22nd, Diamond and 21st Streets, and authorizing an agreement between the City and the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority for the PRA to act as the City's condemnation agent, under certain terms and conditions.

WHEREAS, The City would like to acquire fee simple title or a lesser interest, by purchase, condemnation or otherwise, in parcels of land generally in the area bounded by Susquehanna, Lambert, Norris, 22nd, Diamond and 21st Streets (the "Acquisition"); and

WHEREAS, none of the property to be acquired is believed to be an occupied structure; and

WHEREAS, Pursuant to §6.1 of the Redevelopment Cooperation Law, Act of May 24, 1945, P.L. 982, §6.1; added by the Act of January 19, 1968, P.L. (1967) 987, §2; 35 P.S. §1746.1, the City may designate and appoint the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority ("PRA") as its agent to perform any specified activities that the City is authorized by law to perform, so long as such activities is in furtherance of the public purposes specified in the Urban Redevelopment Law (the "URL"); and

WHEREAS, The City and the PRA desire to enter into an Agreement of Agency Designation (the "Agency Agreement") wherein the City will designate the PRA as the City’s agent to perform the activities necessary to allow the City to acquire the necessary real property interests for the Acquisition; and

WHEREAS, the Acquisition furthers the public purposes specified in the URL and, therefore, the Redevelopment Cooperation Law authorizes the Agency Agreement; and

WHEREAS, The Redevelopment Cooperation Law requires that the Council of the City of Philadelphia approve the Agency Agreement; now, therefore

THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA HEREBY ORDAINS:

SECTION 1. The Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City, is authorized to acquire by purchase, condemnation, deed in lieu of condemnation, donation, dedication, or otherwise, fee simple title to, or a lesser interest in, some or all of the parcels of land identified in Section 2 of this Ordinance, including any adjacent alleys to these parcels for the public purpose of constructing a municipal building for Police District use.

SECTION 2. The lands subject to this Ordinance are the following:

Area A: Approximately 34,000 square feet of property in the block bounded by Diamond, Van Pelt, Norris and 22nd Streets as identified in Exhibit A; and

Area B: Approximately 27,000 square feet of property in the block bounded by Diamond, 21st, Norris and Van Pelt Streets as identified in Exhibit A; and

Area C: Approximately 22,000 square feet of property in the block bounded by Diamond, Lambert, Norris and 21st Streets as identified in Exhibit A; and

Area D: Approximately 13,000 square feet of property in the block bounded by Susquehanna, Lambert, Diamond and 21st Streets as identified in Exhibit A.

SECTION 3. The City, acting through the Commissioner of Public Property, is authorized to enter into an Agreement of Agency Designation pursuant to the Redevelopment Cooperation Law to designate and appoint the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to be its condemnation agent to carry out the purposes of this Ordinance.

SECTION 4. The City Solicitor is authorized to review and approve all documents necessary to complete the acquisitions authorized by this Ordinance. The City Solicitor is further authorized to include in those documents provisions that the City Solicitor deems necessary and desirable to protect the interests of the City.

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