Illinois § 5

§ 5.

The District has power to acquire and accept by purchase, lease, gift, grant or otherwise any property and rights useful for its purposes and to provide for the development of channels, ports, harbors, airports, airfields, terminals, port facilities, terminal facilities, aquariums, museums, planetariums, climatrons and any other building or facility which the District has the power to acquire, construct, reconstruct, extend or improve, to serve the needs of commerce within the District. The District may acquire real or personal property or any rights therein in the manner, as near as may be, as is provided for the exercise of the right of eminent domain under the Eminent Domain Act, as amended; except that no rights or property of any kind or character now or hereafter owned, leased, controlled or operated and used by, or necessary for the actual operations of any common carrier engaged in interstate commerce, or of any other public utility subject to the jurisdiction of the Illinois Commerce Commission, shall be taken or appropriated by the District without first obtaining the approval of the Illinois Commerce Commission; and except that no property owned by any city within the District shall be taken or appropriated without first obtaining the consent of the governing body of such city. Also, the District may lease to others for any period of time, not to exceed 99 years, upon such terms as its Board may determine, any of its real property, rights of way or privileges, or any interest therein, or any part thereof, for industrial, manufacturing, commercial or harbor purposes, which is in the opinion of the Port District Board no longer required for its primary purposes in the development of port and harbor facilities for the use of public transportation, or which may not be immediately needed for such purposes, but where such leases will in the opinion of the Port District Board aid and promote such purposes, and in conjunction with such leases, the District may grant rights of way and privileges across the property of the District, which rights of way and privileges may be assignable and irrevocable during the term of any such lease and may include the right to enter upon the property of the District to do such things as may be necessary for the enjoyment of such leases, rights of way and privileges, and such leases may contain such conditions and retain such interest therein as may be deemed for the best interest of the District by such Board. Also, the District shall have the right to grant easements and permits for the use of any such real property, rights of way or privileges which in the opinion of the Board will not interfere with the use thereof by the District for its primary purposes and such easements and permits may contain such conditions and retain such interest therein as may be deemed for the best interest of the District by the Board. With respect to any and all leases, easements, rights of way, privileges and permits made or granted by the Board, the Board may agree upon and collect the rentals, charges and fees that may be deemed for the best interest of the District. Such rentals, charges and fees shall be used to defray the reasonable expenses of the District and to pay the principal of and interest on any revenue bonds issued by the District. (Source: P.A. 96-328, eff. 8-11-09.)