The Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, with the legal name of "Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia", was created by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Urban Redevelopment Law of 1945. It is known locally as "the RDA."

Function

The Authority's function is to acquire real estate

Real estate

In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...

 using the power of eminent domain

Eminent domain

Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...

, plan for redevelopment

Redevelopment

Redevelopment is any new construction on a site that has pre-existing uses.-Description:Variations on redevelopment include:* Urban infill on vacant parcels that have no existing activity but were previously developed, especially on Brownfield land, such as the redevelopment of an industrial site...

 working with private firms, and financing the redevelopment by issuing municipal bonds of the Authority, with the overall objective of eliminating urban blight

Urban decay

Urban decay is the process whereby a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude...

 in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

.

Board

The Authority is governed by a five member board, appointed by the mayor of Philadelphia. As of June, 2010, the board has the following members:

The Honorable Michael A. Nutter

Michael A. Nutter

Michael Anthony Nutter is the Mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the third African-American mayor of Philadelphia, the largest city in the United States with an African-American mayor. Elected on November 6, 2007, he was sworn in on January 7, 2008 and re-elected on November 8, 2011...

, Chairman

Asia Coney, Secretary

Wendell Pritchett, 1st Vice Chairman & Assistant Secretary

Roxanne Covington, Esq., 2nd Vice Chairman

Jennifer I. Rodriguez, Treasurer

Land dispute

The University City Science Center

University City Science Center

The University City Science Center is the first and largest urban research park in the United States. It was established in 1963 with its headquarters in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia...

 filed a lawsuit to stop the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority from seizing two parcels of land in the 3800 block of Market Street in West Philadelphia. The lawsuit was filed on May 28, 2010.

On September 28, 2009, the Authority found the Science Center to be in default of an agreement about the two parcels of land, currently used for parking. The Science Center contended in its lawsuit that current economic conditions had delayed redevelopment, saying that the apparent default was caused by an unforeseeable cause, and therefore should not be grounds for taking the land.