1. Whenever a city which now has or may hereafter have more than one hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants and less than five hundred thousand inhabitants, whether organized under general law or special charter of the provisions of Section 19 of Article VI of the Constitution of this state, shall, by ordinance, deem it necessary to take and condemn or damage any private property for a public use of said city, it may adopt the same procedure for such taking and condemning or damaging as is prescribed in the general laws of the state for the appropriation and valuation of lands taken for telegraph, telephone, gravel and plank or railroad purposes, being chapter 523. Upon paying to the clerk of the circuit court the amount of damages awarded, the city shall have the right, notwithstanding the filing of exceptions to such award, to enter upon and take possession of the property so taken and condemned, and to proceed with the public improvement, or in the case of damage only, to proceed with the public improvement, and any subsequent proceeding shall only affect the amount of compensation to be allowed.

2. The method or procedure provided for in this section shall be construed to be an additional remedy for the benefit of the cities mentioned in said section, and not as in any way affecting or repealing the provisions of any existing law.