South Carolina § 31-10-110 - Contracting by commission for certain services; advertisement for bids from persons interested in purchasing or redeveloping property; commission's real estate transactions under redevelopment plan.

§ 31-10-110. Contracting by commission for certain services; advertisement for bids from persons interested in purchasing or redeveloping property; commission's real estate transactions under redevelopment plan.

(a) A commission may contract for engineering, legal, surveying, professional, or other similar services.

(b) A commission may sell, exchange, or otherwise transfer real property or any interest therein in a redevelopment area to any redeveloper for residential, recreational, commercial, industrial, or other uses or for public use in accordance with the redevelopment plan, subject to such covenants, conditions and restrictions as may be deemed to be in the public interest or to carry out the purposes of this chapter; provided, that such sale, exchange, or other transfer, and any agreement relating thereto, may be made only after, or subject to, the approval of the redevelopment plan by the governing body of the municipality and after public notice and award as specified in subsection (c) of this section.

(c) The commission shall, by public notice, published once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality, invite proposals and shall make available all pertinent information to any persons interested in undertaking a purchase of property or the redevelopment of an area or any part thereof. The commission may require such bid bonds as it deems appropriate. After receipt of all proposals, the sale shall be made to the developer submitting the plan for use of the property that best effectuates the purposes of the redevelopment plan set forth in subsection (e) of this section. All proposals may be rejected. All sales shall be subject to the approval of the governing body of the municipality. Nothing herein, however, shall prevent the sale at private sale without advertisement and bids to the municipality or other public body, or to a nonprofit association or corporation operated exclusively for educational, scientific, literary, cultural, charitable, or religious purposes, of such property as is specified in items (1), (2), (3), or (4) of subsection (d) of this section; provided, that such sale is in accordance with the provisions of the item.

(d) In carrying out a redevelopment project, the commission may:

(1) with or without consideration and at private sale convey to the municipality in which the project is located such real property as, in accordance with the redevelopment plan, is to be laid out into streets, alleys, and public ways;

(2) with or without consideration, convey at private sale, grant, or dedicate easements and rights-of-way for public utilities, sewers, streets, and other similar facilities, in accordance with the redevelopment plan;

(3) with or without consideration and at private sale convey to the municipality, county or other appropriate public body such real property as, in accordance with the redevelopment plan, is to be used for parks, schools, public buildings, facilities, or other public purposes;

(4) after a public hearing advertised in accordance with the provisions of subsection (d) of SECTION 31-10-100 and subject to the approval of the governing body of the municipality, convey to a nonprofit association or corporation organized and operated exclusively for educational, scientific, literary, cultural, charitable or religious purposes, no part of the net earnings of which inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, such real property as, in accordance with the redevelopment plan, is to be used for the purposes of such associations or corporations. Such conveyance shall be for such consideration as may be agreed upon by the commission and the association or corporation, taking into account nonmonetary benefits that will accrue to the municipality as a result of the conveyance. All conveyances made under the authority of this subsection shall contain restrictive covenants limiting the use of property so conveyed to the purposes for which the conveyance is made;

(e) after receiving the required approval of a sale from the governing body of the municipality, the commission may execute any required contracts, deeds, and other instruments and take all steps necessary to effectuate any such contract or sale. Any contract of sale between a commission and a redeveloper may contain, without being limited to, any or all of the following provisions:

(1) plans prepared by the redeveloper or otherwise and such other documents as may be required to show the type, material, structure, and general character of the proposed redevelopment;

(2) a statement of the use intended for each part of the proposed redevelopment;

(3) the amount, if known, of the consideration to be paid;

(4) adequate safeguards for proper maintenance of all parts of the proposed redevelopment;

(5) such other continuing controls as may be deemed necessary to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.

Any deed to a redeveloper in furtherance of a redevelopment contract shall be executed in the name of the commission, by its proper officers, and shall contain in addition to all other provisions, such conditions, restrictions, and provisions as the commission may deem desirable in order to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.

(f) The commission may temporarily rent or lease, operate, and maintain real property in a redevelopment area, pending the disposition of the property for redevelopment, for such uses and purposes as may be deemed desirable even though not in conformity with the redevelopment plan.

HISTORY: 1984 Act No. 451, SECTION 12.