An authority shall have the following powers, together with all powers incidental thereto or necessary to the discharge thereof in corporate form:

(1) To have succession by its corporate name for the duration of time (which may be in perpetuity) specified in its certificate of incorporation;

(2) To maintain civil actions and have civil actions maintained against it in its corporate name, except as otherwise provided in this article, and to defend civil actions against it;

(3) To adopt and make use of a corporate seal and to alter the same at pleasure;

(4) To amend its certificate of incorporation by filing in the office of the Secretary of State a certificate signed by all of the directors of the authority setting forth the details of the amendment, such certificate to be acknowledged in the same manner as the certificate of incorporation;

(5) To adopt and alter bylaws for the regulation and conduct of its affairs and business;

(6) To acquire, receive and take title to, by purchase, gift, lease, devise or otherwise, to hold, keep and develop and to transfer, convey, lease, assign or otherwise dispose of property of every kind and character, real, personal and mixed, and any and every interest therein, located within the area of operation of the authority, to any person;

(7) To undertake and to make or cause to be made, either singly or in conjunction and cooperation with others, appropriate studies, surveys, arrangements, undertakings and construction designs and plans and supervision having to do, directly or indirectly, with the restoration, renovation, preservation, improvement, protection or maintenance of, or interest in, any public or private property that has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places or acquisition or construction of any vicinity improvements; provided, however, that the authority shall not pay out any of its funds by way of any form of remuneration or compensation to any persons engaged in the making of any such studies, surveys, arrangements, undertakings and construction designs, plans and supervision other than to persons who are directly employed in that connection by the authority;

(8) To make available and give, subject to the provisions of subdivision (7) of this section, to any person, financial and technical assistance and aid of every kind and character which will directly or indirectly promote, encourage or effect the restoration, renovation, preservation, improvement, protection or maintenance of, or interest in, any public or private property that has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places or acquisition or construction of any vicinity improvements;

(9) To make, enter into and execute such contracts, agreements, leases and other legal arrangements and to take such other steps and actions as may be necessary or convenient in the furtherance of any purpose or the exercise of any power provided or granted to it by law;

(10) To borrow money for any corporate purpose, function or use and to issue in evidence of the borrowing, interest-bearing bonds payable solely from the revenues derived from the operation or leasing or sale of any of its property;

(11) To pledge for the payment of any bonds issued or obligations assumed by the authority any revenues from which those bonds or obligations are made payable and to execute and deliver, as security for such bonds and obligations, mortgages, deeds of trust, trust indentures and pledge indentures as provided for hereinafter;

(12) To carry out all of its functions, exercise all of its powers and conduct all of its business and affairs without regard to the provisions of Sections 41-16-50 through 41-16-63, or any similar law respecting competitive bidding, that might otherwise be applicable;

(13) To provide for such insurance as the authority may deem advisable;

(14) To invest any of its funds deemed by the authority to be not presently needed in the operation of its properties and undertakings in bonds, bills or notes of the United States of America, bonds of the state, bonds of any county or municipality within the state and interest-bearing deposits in banks and savings and loan institutions or any thereof; and

(15) To cooperate with the United States of America and any agency or instrumentality thereof, any state and its agencies and instrumentalities, any county or municipality or other political subdivision of a state and any other person, and to make and enter into contracts and all manner of legal arrangements with them or any of them and to obtain money by way of loans, grants or payments from them or any of them or property or other forms of assistance as the authority may deem advisable to accomplish the purposes for which the authority was created.