Illinois § 22

§ 22.

The Department of a municipality shall have the power to acquire by purchase, condemnation or otherwise any improved or unimproved real property the acquisition of which is necessary or appropriate for the implementation of a conservation plan for a conservation area as defined herein; to remove or demolish substandard or other buildings and structures from the property so acquired; to hold, improve, mortgage and manage such properties; and to sell, lease, or exchange such properties, provided that contracts for repair, improvement or rehabilitation of existing improvements as may be required by the conservation plan to be done by the Department involving in excess of $1,000.00 shall be let by free and competitive bidding to the lowest responsible bidder upon such bond and subject to such regulations as may be set by the Department, and provided further that all new construction for occupancy and use other than by any municipal corporation or subdivision thereof shall be on land privately owned. The acquisition, use or disposition of any real property in pursuance of this section must conform to a conservation plan developed in the manner hereinafter set forth. In case of the sale or lease of any real property acquired under the provisions of this Act such buyer or lessee must as a condition of sale or lease, agree to improve and use such property according to the conservation plan, and such agreement may be made a covenant running with the land and on order of the governing body such agreement shall be made a covenant running with the land. The Department shall by public notice by publication once each week for 2 consecutive weeks in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality 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, invite proposals from and make available all pertinent information to redevelopers or any person interested in undertaking to redevelop or rehabilitate a conservation area, or any part thereof, provided that, in municipalities in which no newspaper is published, publication may be made by posting a notice in 3 prominent places within the municipality. Such notice shall contain a description of the conservation area, the details of the conservation plan relating to the property which the purchaser shall undertake in writing to carry out and such undertakings as the Department may deem necessary to obligate the purchaser, his successors and assigns (1) to use the property for the purposes designated in the conservation plan, (2) to commence and complete the improvement, repair, rehabilitation, or construction of the improvements within the periods of time which the Department fixes as reasonable and (3) to comply with such other conditions as are necessary to carry out the purposes of the Act. The Department may negotiate with any persons for proposals for the purchase, lease or other transfer of any real property acquired pursuant to this Act and shall consider all redevelopment and rehabilitation proposals submitted to it and the financial and legal ability of the persons making such proposals to carry them out. The Department, as agent for the municipality, at a public meeting, notice of which shall have been published in a newspaper of general circulation within the municipality at least 15 but not more than 30 days prior to such meeting, may accept such proposals as it deems to be in the public interest and in furtherance of the purposes of this Act; provided that, all sales or leases of real property shall be made at not less than fair use value. Condemnation proceedings instituted hereunder shall be brought by and in the name of the municipality and shall be in all respects in the manner provided for the exercise of the right of eminent domain under the Eminent Domain Act. No property shall be held for more than 5 years, after which period such property shall be sold to the highest bidder at public sale. The Department may employ competent private real estate management firms to manage such properties as may be acquired, or the Department may manage such properties. (Source: P.A. 94-1055, eff. 1-1-07.)