Disposal of property in community redevelopment area.

The disposal of property in a community redevelopment area which is acquired by eminent domain is subject to the limitations set forth in s. 73.013.

(1) Any county, municipality, or community redevelopment agency may sell, lease, dispose of, or otherwise transfer real property or any interest therein acquired by it for community redevelopment in a community redevelopment area to any private person, or may retain such property for public use, and may enter into contracts with respect thereto for residential, recreational, commercial, industrial, educational, or other uses, in accordance with the community redevelopment plan, subject to such covenants, conditions, and restrictions, including covenants running with the land, as it deems necessary or desirable to assist in preventing the development or spread of future slums or blighted areas or to otherwise carry out the purposes of this part. However, such sale, lease, other transfer, or retention, and any agreement relating thereto, may be made only after the approval of the community redevelopment plan by the 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 community redevelopment plan and may be obligated to comply with such other requirements as the county, municipality, or community redevelopment agency may determine to be in the public interest, including the obligation to begin any improvements on such real property required by the community redevelopment plan within a reasonable time.

(2) Such real property or interest shall be sold, leased, otherwise transferred, or retained at a value determined to be in the public interest for uses in accordance with the community redevelopment plan and in accordance with such reasonable disposal procedures as any county, municipality, or community redevelopment agency may prescribe. In determining the value of real property as being in the public interest for uses in accordance with the community redevelopment plan, the county, municipality, or community redevelopment agency shall take into account and give consideration to the long-term benefits to be achieved by the county, municipality, or community redevelopment agency resulting from incurring short-term losses or costs in the disposal of such real property; the uses provided in such plan; the restrictions upon, and the covenants, conditions, and obligations assumed by, the purchaser or lessee or by the county, municipality, or community redevelopment agency retaining the property; and the objectives of such plan for the prevention of the recurrence of slum or blighted areas. In the event the value of such real property being disposed of is for less than the fair value, such disposition shall require the approval of the governing body, which approval may only be given following a duly noticed public hearing. The county, municipality, or community redevelopment agency may provide in any instrument of conveyance to a private purchaser or lessee that such purchaser or lessee is without power to sell, lease, or otherwise transfer the real property without the prior written consent of the county, municipality, or community redevelopment agency until the purchaser or lessee has completed the construction of any or all improvements which he or she has obligated himself or herself to construct thereon. Real property acquired by the county, municipality, or community redevelopment agency which, in accordance with the provisions of the community redevelopment 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 community redevelopment plan. Any contract for such transfer and the community redevelopment plan, or such part or parts of such contract or plan as the county, municipality, or community redevelopment agency may determine, may be recorded in the land records of the clerk of the circuit court in such manner as to afford actual or constructive notice thereof.

(3)(a) Prior to disposition of any real property or interest therein in a community redevelopment area, any county, municipality, or community redevelopment agency shall give public notice of such disposition by publication in a newspaper having a general circulation in the community, at least 30 days 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 all pertinent information available to, private redevelopers or any persons interested in undertaking to redevelop or rehabilitate a community redevelopment area or any part thereof. Such notice shall identify the area or portion thereof and shall state that proposals must be made by those interested within 30 days after the date of publication of the notice and that such further information as is available may be obtained at such office as is designated in the notice. The county, municipality, or community redevelopment agency shall consider all such redevelopment or rehabilitation proposals and the financial and legal ability of the persons making such proposals to carry them out; and the county, municipality, or community redevelopment agency may negotiate with any persons for proposals for the purchase, lease, or other transfer of any real property acquired by it in the community redevelopment area. The county, municipality, or community redevelopment agency may accept such proposal as it deems to be in the public interest and in furtherance of the purposes of this part. Except in the case of a governing body acting as the agency, as provided in s. 163.357, a notification of intention to accept such proposal must be filed with the governing body not less than 30 days prior to any such acceptance. Thereafter, the county, municipality, or community redevelopment agency may execute such contract in accordance with the provisions of subsection (1) and deliver deeds, leases, and other instruments and take all steps necessary to effectuate such contract.

(b) Any county, municipality, or community redevelopment agency that, pursuant to the provisions of this section, has disposed of a real property project with a land area in excess of 20 acres may acquire an expanded area that is immediately adjacent to the original project and less than 35 percent of the land area of the original project, by purchase as provided in this chapter, and negotiate a disposition of such expanded area directly with the person who acquired the original project without complying with the disposition procedures established in paragraph (a), provided the county, municipality, or community redevelopment agency adopts a resolution making the following findings:

1. It is in the public interest to expand such real property project to an immediately adjacent area.

2. The expanded area is less than 35 percent of the land area of the original project.

3. The expanded area is entirely within the boundary of the community redevelopment area.

(4) Any county, municipality, or community redevelopment agency may temporarily operate and maintain real property acquired by it in a community redevelopment area for or in connection with a community redevelopment plan pending the disposition of the property as authorized in this part, without regard to the provisions of subsection (1), for such uses and purposes as may be deemed desirable, even though not in conformity with the community redevelopment plan.

(5) If any conflict exists between the provisions of this section and s. 159.61, the provisions of this section govern and supersede those of s. 159.61.

(6) Notwithstanding any provision of this section, if a community redevelopment area is established by the governing body for the redevelopment of property located on a closed military base within the governing body’s boundaries, the procedures for disposition of real property within that community redevelopment area shall be prescribed by the governing body, and compliance with the other provisions of this section shall not be required prior to the disposal of real property.