S 3210
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3210
To establish the Centennial Historic District in the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 26, 2008
Mr. CASEY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred
to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
A BILL
To establish the Centennial Historic District in the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Centennial District Authorization Act
of 2008'.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES.
(a) Findings- Congress finds that--
(1) the Centennial District in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was
the site of an international exhibition to celebrate the Centennial
of the United States in 1876;
(2) held only 11 years after the end of the Civil War, the Centennial
Exhibition was both a national celebration of unity and a recognition
by the world community that the United States was emerging as the
leading country in the world;
(3) the Centennial Exhibition displayed 60,000 exhibits from more
than 28 countries around the world in 240 buildings and hosted nearly
10,000,000 visitors, which is estimated to be nearly 25 percent of
the population of the United States at the time of the Exhibition;
(4) the Centennial Exhibition became the center of cultural, technological,
economic, and geopolitical development in the United States by demonstrating
groundbreaking innovations, including root beer, the telephone, kindergarten,
the typewriter, the phonograph, and the monorail;
(5) there are more than 100 United States companies that displayed
at the Centennial Exhibition that are still in business today, including
Bausch and Lomb, John Deere, Campbell's, Heinz, and Wyeth;
(6) the Centennial District is located in Fairmount Park, which is
listed on the National Register of Historic Places;
(7) Memorial Hall, a centerpiece of the Centennial celebration is--
(A) listed on the National Register of Historic Places; and
(B) being renovated to join other cultural institutions as an anchor
for the Centennial District; and
(8) the Centennial District would commemorate the historic significance
of the Centennial celebration in the history of the United States.
(b) Purposes- The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to preserve and interpret for the educational and inspirational
benefit of the public the contribution to the heritage of the United
States of certain historic and cultural land in the Centennial Historic
District, with an emphasis on harnessing the unique urban environment
of the District for the educational and recreational values offered
by the District; and
(2) to enhance economic and cultural redevelopment in the District
by preserving the history of the United States Centennial Celebration.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
(1) CITY- The term `City' means the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
(2) COMMISSION- The term `Commission' means the Fairmount Park Commission.
(3) DISTRICT- The term `District' means the Centennial Historic District
established by section 4(a).
(4) MANAGEMENT PLAN- The term `management plan' means the plan prepared
under section 5(b).
(5) SECRETARY- The term `Secretary' means--
(A) the Secretary of the Interior; or
(B) the head of any Federal agency to which funds are appropriated
to carry out this Act.
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTENNIAL HISTORIC DISTRICT.
(a) Establishment- There is established in the City the Centennial Historic
District.
(b) Boundaries- The District shall be comprised of land in the City
under the jurisdiction of the Commission, the boundaries of which are
depicted on map `A' of the maps entitled `Fairmount Park's Proposed
Centennial Authorization Boundary' and dated December 2007.
SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION OF CENTENNIAL HISTORIC DISTRICT.
(a) In General- The Secretary may make grants to, and enter into cooperative
agreements with, any State or local government agencies, any nonprofit
entities designated by the Secretary to operate the District, and any
leaseholders for--
(1) the preparation of the management plan; and
(2) the implementation of projects approved by the Secretary under
the management plan.
(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall prepare a plan for the development
of historic, architectural, natural, cultural, recreational, and interpretive
resources within the District.
(2) REQUIREMENTS- The management plan shall include--
(i) the condition of historic and architectural resources in the
District; and
(ii) the environmental conditions in the District; and
(B) recommendations for--
(i) rehabilitating, reconstructing, and adaptively reusing the
historic and architectural resources evaluated under subparagraph
(A)(i);
(ii) preserving viewsheds, focal points, and streetscapes in the
District;
(iii) establishing gateways to the District;
(iv) establishing and maintaining parks and public spaces in the
District;
(v) developing public parking areas in the District;
(vi) improving pedestrian and vehicular circulation in the District;
and
(vii) improving security in the District.
(c) Restoration, Maintenance, and Interpretation-
(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements
with the City, any agents of the City, and designated partners within
the District under which the Secretary may mark, interpret, improve,
restore, and provide technical assistance with respect to the preservation
and interpretation of any property of historical or cultural significance
in the District, as identified in the management plan.
(2) REQUIREMENTS- A cooperative agreement entered into under paragraph
(1) shall contain provisions requiring that--
(A) the Secretary have the right of access at reasonable times to
public portions of the property for interpretive and other purposes;
and
(B) no changes or alterations be made to the property unless the
changes or alterations are approved by all parties to the cooperative
agreement.
(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall provide financial assistance to
projects for capital improvements in the District in accordance with
this subsection.
(2) APPLICATION- To be eligible for financial assistance under paragraph
(1), an entity shall submit to the Secretary an application that includes
a description of the manner in which the proposed project would further
the purposes of the District.
(3) CONSIDERATIONS- In making amounts available under this subsection,
the Secretary shall--
(A) consider which proposed projects provide the greatest leverage
of Federal funds; and
(B) give priority consideration to projects relating to--
(i) providing gateways to, and signage for, the District;
(ii) improving historical monuments in the District;
(iii) maintaining public parks and spaces in the District;
(iv) establishing a trail in the District;
(v) maintaining and improving the lake in the District;
(vi) providing streetscape and lighting for the Girard Gateway;
(vii) improving pedestrian and vehicular traffic circulation and
parking at the western end of the Centennial Exhibition grounds;
and
(viii) restoring Memorial Hall.
(C) CONDITIONS- Any amounts provided under this subsection shall
be subject to an agreement between the Secretary and the recipient
of the financial assistance providing that if the project assisted
is converted or disposed of for purposes contrary to the purposes
of this Act, as determined by the Secretary, the United States shall
be entitled to compensation from the recipient of the financial
assistance in an amount that is equal to the greater of--
(i) the amount of any funds made available to the project under
this Act; or
(ii) the amount of the increased value of the project attributable
to the funds made available to the project under this Act, as
determined at the time of the conversion or disposal.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General- There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary--
(1) $39,500,000 for capital projects under section 5(d); and
(2) $5,500,000 for planning and technical assistance.
(b) Cost-Sharing Requirements- Amounts made available for projects under
subsection (a)(1) shall not exceed 80 percent of the total cost of the
project provided financial assistance.
(c) Termination of Authority- The authority to expend amounts made available
under this Act shall expire 5 years after the date on which the amounts
are appropriated.
END
