16-a. With the consent of the city and notwithstanding any other provision of law, whenever real property having dwellings or other structures thereon has been acquired by the authority or the city for the purpose of constructing any project authorized by this title, (a) to acquire real property by purchase, gift, devise or condemnation in the manner provided in this title, and as the agent of the city, for the purpose of providing new sites on which such dwellings or other structures may be relocated; (b) to sell such dwellings or other structures or to provide for the removal, relocation and improvement of such dwellings or other structures on new foundations at such new sites by contract or by its own labor force or by a combination of methods; (c) to contract for the installation of water, sewer, gas and electrical facilities and other necessary appurtenances required for the completion and restoration of such dwellings or other structures; (d) to landscape such new sites; (e) to contract with any person, firm or corporation or with the city for the improvement or installation of streets, sewers, water lines or other facilities in connection with the relocation of such dwellings or other structures and to pay the cost thereof; (f) to contract with the several owners of such property for the conveyance of the new sites with improvements thereon to such owner in settlement in part or in whole of the compensation and damage to which they are entitled; and (g) to sell such sites with or without dwellings or other structures and improvements thereon.
The authority may agree with the owners of property acquired, in settlement in part or in whole of the damages to which they are entitled, to compensate such owners for the cost of acquiring new sites, removing dwellings thereto on new foundations, the installation of water, sewer, gas and electrical facilities and other necessary appurtenances required for the complete restoration of such dwellings or other structures and landscaping of the new site.
For the purposes of this subdivision, the term "structures" shall mean and include buildings used as and for hospitals, schools, community and religious institutions, cultural and recreational and other neighborhood and community facilities, but shall exclude retail stores, factories and commercial and industrial establishments of any kind.