

     § 6006.  Purposes and powers; general.
        (a)  General powers.--An authority created and continued by
     this chapter shall exercise the public powers of the
     Commonwealth as an agency for the purpose, without limitation,
     by itself or by agreement in cooperation with others, of
     acquiring, holding, developing, designing, constructing,
     improving, maintaining, managing, operating, financing,
     furnishing, fixturing, equipping, repairing, leasing or
     subleasing, either in the capacity of lessor or lessee or
     sublessor or sublessee, and owning a convention center or parts
     of a convention center.
        (b)  Specific powers.--The authority is granted all powers
     necessary or convenient for the carrying out of the purposes in
     subsection (a), including all of the following rights and
     powers:
            (1)  To have continuing succession.
            (2)  To be a party in all courts.
            (3)  To adopt, use and alter at will a corporate seal.
            (4)  To acquire by gift or otherwise, purchase, hold,
        receive, lease, sublease and use any license, franchise or
        property, real, personal or mixed, tangible or intangible, or
        any interest in a license, franchise or property, including a
        convention center or parts of a convention center.
            (5)  To sell, transfer or dispose of any property or
        interest in property with adequate and fair consideration.
            (6)  To acquire, hold, develop, design, construct,
        improve, maintain, manage, operate, furnish, fixture, equip,
        repair, own, lease or sublease a convention center or parts
        of a convention center and to make, enter into and award
        contracts with any person, association, partnership or
        corporation for the development, design, financing,
        construction, improvement, maintenance, operation,
        management, furnishing, fixturing, equipping and repair of a
        convention center or parts of a convention center.
            (7)  To make bylaws for the management and regulation of
        its affairs and issue rules, regulations and policies in
        connection with the performance of its functions and duties.
            (8)  To appoint officers, agents, employees and servants,
        to prescribe their duties, to fix their compensation and to
        establish work rules, work assignments and conditions of
        employment for any officer, agent, employee or servant of the
        authority.
            (9)  To fix, alter, charge and collect rentals,
        admissions, license fees and other charges.
            (10)  To borrow money for the purpose of paying the costs
        of any project and to evidence the debt; make and issue
        negotiable bonds of the authority; secure the payment of the
        bonds, or any part of the bonds, by pledge or deed of trust
        of its revenue, rentals, receipts and contract rights; make
        contracts with the purchasers or holders of bonds or with
        other obligees of the authority in connection with any bonds,
        whether issued or to be issued, as the authority deems
        advisable; obtain credit enhancement or liquidity facilities
        in connection with any bonds as the authority determines to
        be advantageous; and, in general, provide for the security
        for bonds and the rights of the holders of bonds.
            (11)  To make, enter into and award contracts to execute
        all instruments necessary or convenient for the carrying out
        of its business.
            (12)  To borrow money and accept grants and to enter into
        contracts, leases, subleases, licenses or other transactions
        with any Federal agency, State public body, political
        subdivision, person, association, partnership or corporation.
            (13)  To have the power of eminent domain within a city
        of the first class. Any condemnation by the authority shall
        be in the manner provided by the act of June 22, 1964
        (Sp.Sess., P.L.84, No.6), known as the Eminent Domain Code.
            (14)  To pledge, hypothecate or otherwise encumber any of
        its property, real, personal or mixed, tangible or
        intangible, and its revenue or receipts, including any
        interest the authority may have in any lease or sublease of a
        convention center or parts of a convention center.
            (15)  To procure insurance containing coverages,
        including, without limitation, insurance covering the timely
        payment in full of principal of and interest on bonds of the
        authority, in amounts and from insurers as the authority may
        determine to be necessary or desirable for its purposes.
            (16)  To invest its money.
            (17)  To cooperate with any Federal agency, State public
        body or political subdivision.
            (18)  To invest any funds held in reserve or sinking
        funds or any funds not required for immediate disbursements,
        as authorized by section 6012(d)(relating to moneys of
        authority).
            (19)  To appoint all officers, agents and employees
        required for the performance of its duties and fix and
        determine their qualifications, duties and compensation and
        retain or employ other agents or consultants, including
        architects, auditors, engineers, private counsel and private
        consultants, on a contract basis or otherwise for rendering
        professional or technical services and advice.
            (20)  To enroll or to continue to enroll its employees in
        an existing retirement system of the Commonwealth.
            (21)  To appoint and fix the compensation of chief
        counsel and assistant counsel to provide it with legal
        assistance, for which purpose the authority shall not be
        considered either an executive agency or an independent
        agency for the purpose of the act of October 15, 1980
        (P.L.950, No.164), known as the Commonwealth Attorneys Act,
        but shall possess the same status for such purpose as the
        Auditor General, State Treasurer and the Pennsylvania Public
        Utility Commission, except that the provisions of section
        204(b) and (f) of the Commonwealth Attorneys Act shall not
        apply to the authority, and, notwithstanding the provisions
        of 42 Pa.C.S. § 8525 (relating to legal assistance), the
        authority through its counsel shall defend actions brought
        against the authority and its officers and employees when
        acting within the scope of their official duties.
            (22)  To maintain an office in a city.
            (23)  To appoint an executive director who shall:
                (i)  be the chief executive officer of the authority;
                (ii)  devote full time during business hours to the
            duties of office; and
                (iii)  receive compensation as the board determines.
            (24)  To contract with an association with experience in
        managing convention centers for the management of the
        convention center.
            (25)  To do all acts and things necessary or convenient
        for the promotion of its purposes and the general welfare of
        the authority and to carry out the powers granted to it by
        this chapter or any other acts.
        (c)  Limitation.--The authority shall have no power to pledge
     the credit or taxing powers of the Commonwealth, a political
     subdivision or a city, nor shall any of its obligations be
     deemed obligations of the Commonwealth, a political subdivision
     or a city, nor shall the Commonwealth, a political subdivision
     or a city be liable for the payment of principal or interest on
     the obligations.
        (d)  Affirmative action.--The authority shall develop and
     implement an affirmative action plan to assure that all persons
     are accorded equality of opportunity in employment and
     contracting by the authority, its contractors, subcontractors,
     assignees, lessees, agents, vendors and suppliers.
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Last modified: November 27, 2007