§410www–2 Authority of Secretary Regarding Property and Concessions

Summary

The Secretary may sell or lease land or buildings inside the park if the sale or lease will keep the property used in ways that fit the park’s purposes. Before selling or leasing, the Secretary must give the last owner or tenant of record a fair chance to buy or lease it first. If the Secretary leases to the current tenant, the first rent charged cannot be much higher than what the tenant was paying, and later increases may not exceed general rent rises in the nearby area. The Secretary can make cooperative agreements with owners of historic or cultural properties to mark, explain, repair, restore, and help preserve them. Those agreements must let the Secretary access public parts of the property at reasonable times and say that changes need both sides’ agreement. The Secretary can accept help or services from qualified people, with or without payment, and can spend funds to improve, restore, or maintain properties it leases. The Secretary must give first preference to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Social Change for selling books and similar mementos in park facilities, if acceptable terms are agreed. Actions at Ebenezer Baptist Church may only support public visits or preserve the parts tied to the park’s purposes.