(a) The authority, incorporated under this chapter, shall constitute a public body corporate and politic, exercising public powers of the State as an agency thereof and shall be known as the parking authority of the city, but shall in no way be deemed to be in instrumentality of the city or engaged in the performance of a municipal function. The authority shall be for the purpose of conducting the necessary research activity, to maintain current data leading to efficient operation of off-street parking facilities, for the fulfillment of public needs in relation to parking, establishing a permanent coordinated system of parking facilities, and, either independently or in conjunction with private persons and entities, planning, designing, locating, acquiring, holding, constructing, improving, maintaining and operating, owning or leasing, either in the capacity or lessor or lessee, land and facilities to be devoted to the parking of vehicles of any kind.

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The authority shall not directly engage in the sale of gasoline, the sale of automobile accessories, automobile repair and service or any other garage service, other than the parking of vehicles, and the authority shall not directly engage in the sale of any commodity of trade or commerce; provided, however, that the authority may lease space in any of its facilities for use by the lessee for the sale of gasoline, the sale of automobile accessories, automobile repair and service or any other garage service and may lease portions of any of its garage buildings or structures for commercial use by the lessee, where, in the opinion of the authority, such leasing is necessary and feasible for the financing and operation of such facilities, and, provided further, where, in the opinion of the authority, the space above any parking facility is not needed for parking, the authority may lease the right to occupy and use the space above any parking facility for commercial uses other than parking, together with the right to use and occupy such space within the parking facility as may be necessary for the purposes of access to and support of structures occupying the space above such parking facility and, provided further, the authority may lease up to 5 percent, or such other amended percentage under federal law that would permit the issuance of tax free revenue bonds for financing of construction, of the total square footage of any of its garage buildings or structures located within a city’s central business district for commercial use that is accessible from the level of the street adjoining the buildings or structures. Any such lease shall be granted by the authority to the highest and best bidder, upon terms specified by the authority, after due public notice has been given asking for competitive bids; provided, however, that if after such public notice no bid is received and/or the authority rejects any bid or bids received, thereafter the authority may negotiate any such lease or leases without further public notice but on a basis more favorable than that contained in any bid or bids rejected, if any. The phrase “due public notice”, as used in this section, shall mean a notice published at least 10 days before the award of any such lease in a newspaper of general circulation published in a municipality where the authority has its principal office, and, if no newspaper is published therein, then by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the authority has its principal office. The authority may reject any or all bids if, in the opinion of the authority, any such lease granted as a result of any such bid or bids would not be adequate or feasible for the financing and operation of such facilities.

(b) Every authority may exercise all powers necessary or convenient for the carrying out of the aforesaid purposes including, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the rights and powers described below:

(1) To have existence as a corporation in perpetuity unless the articles of incorporation limit the duration of the corporation’s existence to a specified date. If the articles of incorporation limit the corporation’s existence to a specific date, the corporation’s existence shall continue thereafter until the principal and interest upon all of its bonds shall have been paid or provisions made for such payment and until all of its other obligations shall have been discharged;

(2) To sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded, complain and defend in all courts;

(3) To adopt, use and alter at will a corporate seal;

(4) To acquire, purchase, hold, lease as lessee, and use any franchise, property, real, personal or mixed, tangible or intangible, or any interest therein, necessary or desirable for carrying out the purpose of the authority and to sell, lease or lessor, transfer and dispose of any property or interest therein at any time required by it;

(5) To acquire by purchase, lease or otherwise and to construct, improve, maintain, repair and operate projects;

(6) To make bylaws for the management and regulation of its affairs;

(7) To appoint officers, agents, employees and servants, to prescribe their duties and to fix their compensation;

(8) To fix, alter, charge and collect rates and other charges for its facilities at reasonable rates to be determined exclusively by it, subject to appeal as provided in this paragraph, for the purposes of providing for the payment of the expenses of the authority, the construction, improvement, repair, maintenance and operation of its facilities and properties, the payment of the principal of and interest on its obligations, and to fulfill the terms and provisions of any agreements made with the purchasers or holders of any such obligations or with the city. Any person questioning the reasonableness of any rate fixed by the authority may bring suit against the authority in the Superior Court of the county wherein the project is located. The Superior Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction to determine the reasonableness of rates and other charges fixed, altered, charged or collected by the authority. Appeals may be taken to the Supreme Court within 30 days after the Superior Court has rendered a final decision;

(9) To borrow money, make and issue negotiable notes, bonds, refunding bonds and other evidences of indebtedness or obligations of the authority, the bonds to have a maturity date not longer than 40 years from the date of issue, except that no refunding bonds shall have a maturity date longer than the life of the authority, and to secure the payment of such bonds or any part thereof by pledge or deed of trust of all or any of its revenues and receipts, and to make such agreements with the purchasers or holders of such bonds, or with others in connection with any such bonds, whether issued or to be issued, as the authority deems advisable, and in general to provide for the security for the bonds and the rights of the holders thereof;

(10) To make contracts of every name and nature and to execute all instruments necessary or convenient for the carrying on of its business;

(11) Without limitation of the foregoing to borrow money and accept grants from and to enter into contracts, leases or other transactions with any federal agency, the State, municipality, corporation or authority;

(12) To have the power of eminent domain;

(13) To pledge, hypothecate or otherwise encumber all or any of the revenues or receipts of the authority as security for all or any of the obligations of the authority;

(14) To do all acts and things necessary for the promotion of its business and the general welfare of the authority to carry out the powers granted to it by this chapter or any other law;

(15) To enter into contracts with the State, municipalities, corporations or authorities for the use of any project of the authority and fixing the amount to be paid therefor;

(16) To enter into contracts of group insurance for the benefit of its employees and to set up a retirement or pension fund for such employees similar to that existing in the municipality where the principal office of the project is located;

(17) To make contracts with municipalities concerning the use of the space above municipal streets and sidewalks;

(18) To execute mortgages covering its lands and buildings, including construction mortgages, as may be necessary or desirable in the carrying out of its business; provided, however, that in the event of a default by the authority which results in title to a parking facility passing to a private mortgagee or person, all tax exemption privileges or other special privileges accorded to the parking facility because of its public nature shall cease, except exemption from taxation of bonds, the interest thereon or the income therefrom;

(19) To acquire, hold and dispose of interests in corporations, partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability companies, and other business enterprises either independently or in conjunction with private persons and entities for the purpose of carrying out the powers granted to it by this chapter or any other law.

(c) The authority shall not at any time or in any manner pledge the credit or taxing power of this State, nor shall any of its obligations be deemed to be obligations of this State, nor shall this State be liable for the payment of principal or of interest on such obligations.

(d) In addition to this chapter providing for the financing of the costs of acquiring lands and premises and for the construction and improvement of parking projects, the authority may by resolution, as provided in this subsection, establish a benefit district.

(1) One benefit district may be designated for the condemnation of lands for 1 or several parking stations. The authority shall determine the percentage of the costs of condemnation which shall be assessable to such benefit district. Not more than 80 percent of such costs shall be assessable to such benefit district or benefit districts.

(2) After a benefit district has been established, no further proceedings shall be taken unless there is filed with the secretary of the authority, within 60 days of the passage of the resolution creating the benefit district, a petition requesting the establishment of such public parking station or stations. Such petition shall be signed by the resident owners of real estate owning not less than 51 percent of the front feet of the real estate fronting or abutting upon any street included within the limits of the benefit district. In determining the sufficiency of the petition, lands owned by the city, county, State or United States or by nonresident owners of real estate within the benefit district shall not be counted in the aggregate of lands within such benefit district. After any petition has been signed by an owner of land in the benefit district, the change of ownership of the land shall not affect the petition. In any case where the owners of lands within the benefit district are tenants in common, each cotenant shall be considered a landowner to the extent of the cotenant’s undivided interest in the land. The owner of a life estate shall also be deemed a landowner for the purpose of this chapter. Guardians of minors or insane persons may petition for their wards when authorized by the proper court so to do. Resident owner of land, as defined in this paragraph, shall be any landowner residing in the city and owning land in the benefit district. No suit shall be maintained in any court to enjoin or in any way contest the establishment of such parking stations or the establishment of a benefit district unless the suit be instituted and summons served within 30 days from and after the date of the filing of such petition with the secretary of the authority.

(3) Whenever the authority shall have acquired lands for public parking stations and shall have declared and ordered that not more than 80 percent of the cost of establishing or improving public parking stations, as provided in this subsection, will be paid by the levy of special assessments upon real estate situate in any 1 or more benefit districts, it shall cause to be made by some competent person an estimate, under oath, of the cost thereof, which estimate shall be filed with the secretary of the authority. The assessment against the benefit district shall be apportioned among the various lots, tracts, pieces and parcels of land within the benefit district in accordance with the special benefits accruing thereto, this apportionment of benefit assessments to be made by 3 disinterested property owners appointed by the mayor of the city or if such city has no mayor, by its chief executive officer within 30 days after the filing of the estimate of the cost of the improvement with the secretary of the authority. As soon as the amount chargeable against each piece of property is ascertained, the authority of such city shall by resolution levy such amount against this real estate in the benefit district, which resolution shall be published once in a newspaper of general circulation in such city. No suit to question the validity of the proceedings of the authority shall be commenced after 30 days from the awarding of a contract for such improvements and until the expiration of the 30 days the contractor shall not be required to commence work under the contract. If no suit shall be filed within such 30 days then all proceedings theretofore had shall be held to be regular, sufficient and valid.

(4) The cost of condemnation and improvement of such public parking stations may be levied and assessed in not to exceed 10 installments, with interest on the whole amount remaining due and unpaid each year at a rate of interest not exceeding 5 percent per annum. Any owner of land within the benefit district may, within 30 days after the assessment resolution is passed, pay the entire amount assessed against the land. The authority of such city may assess, levy and collect the cost of condemnation and improvement of such public parking stations as is assessed against the privately owned property in the benefit district. The assessment shall constitute a lien from the date the same is assessed by resolution, as provided in this paragraph, against the respective premises against which the same is levied, in the same manner as city taxes on real estate are constituted a lien, and shall be collectible in the manner provided for the collection of taxes assessed against the real estate of the City of Wilmington by monition process, as provided in Chapter 143, Volume 36, Laws of Delaware.

(e) When any real property or any interest therein heretofore or hereafter acquired by the authority is no longer needed for the purposes defined in this chapter or when, in the opinion of the authority, it is not desirable or feasible to hold and use such property for said purposes, the authority may sell the same at private or public sale as the authority shall determine, granting and conveying to the purchaser thereof a fee simple marketable title thereto. The authority may make such sale for such price and upon such terms and conditions as the authority deems advisable and for the best interests of the authority and may accept in payment, wholly or partly, cash, bonds, mortgages, debentures, notes, warrants or other evidences of indebtedness as the authority may approve. The consideration received from any such sale may be applied by the authority, in its discretion, to the repayment, in whole or in part, of any funds contributed to the authority by a municipality under § 508 of this title or retained by the authority for the purposes of this chapter. Without limitation of the foregoing, the authority may accept as consideration in whole or in part for the sale of any such real property, a covenant, agreement or undertaking on the part of any purchaser to provide and maintain off-street parking facilities on such property or a portion thereof for the fulfillment of public parking needs for such period and under such terms and conditions as the authority shall determine. Any such covenant, agreement or undertaking on the part of the purchaser as aforesaid and the right of the authority to fix and alter rates to be charged for any such parking facilities, as well as the right of appeal as in this section provided, shall be set forth and reserved in the deed or deeds of conveyance. Any such covenant, agreement or undertaking may be enforced by the authority in an action for specific performance brought in the Court of Chancery of this State.

48 Del. Laws, c. 369, § ?5; 22 Del. C. 1953, § ?504; 49 Del. Laws, c. 72; 50 Del. Laws, c. 222, § ?1; 50 Del. Laws, c. 279, §§ ?1, 2; 55 Del. Laws, c. 293, §§ ?1, 2; 57 Del. Laws, c. 51; 57 Del. Laws, c. 179, § ?1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § ?1; 71 Del. Laws, c. 92, § ?1; 73 Del. Laws, c. 377, § ?2; 80 Del. Laws, c. 324, § 2;