SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the

Centennial Historic District Authorization Act of 2008

Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)The Centennial Historic District in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was the site of an international exhibition to celebrate the Centennial of the United States in 1876. (2)On March 3, 1871, an Act of Congress created the United States Centennial Commission and provided that an Exhibition of American and foreign arts, products, and manufactures be held in Philadelphia in 1876. (3)Held only 11 years after the end of the Civil War, the Centennial Exhibition was a both a national celebration of unity and a recognition by the world community that the United States was emerging as the leading nation in the world. (4)The Centennial Exhibition displayed 60,000 exhibits from more than 28 countries around the world in 240 buildings and hosted nearly 10 million visitors, estimated to be nearly 25 percent of the population of the United States at the time. It was the first World’s Fair to be held in the United States. (5)The 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. (6)More than 100 American companies who participated in the Centennial Exhibition are still in business today, including Bausch and Lomb, John Deere, Campbell’s, Heinz, and Wyeth. (7)The Centennial Historic District is located in Fairmount Park, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (8)Memorial Hall, a centerpiece of the Centennial celebration, is a National Historic Landmark and is being renovated to join other cultural institutions as an anchor for the Centennial Historic District. (9)The Centennial Historic District will commemorate the historic significance of the Centennial celebration in our Nation’s history.

Definitions

In this Act: (1)

Historic district

The term historic district means the Centennial Historic District established by section 4. (2)

Management plan

The term management plan means the management plan described in section 5(b). (3)

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.

Centennial historic district

(a)

Establishment

There is established the Centennial Historic District in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (b)

Boundaries

The boundaries of the historic district shall be as depicted on the map titled Fairmount Park's Proposed Centennial Authorization Boundary, numbered A, and dated December 2007. The map shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service.

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 historic district, or any leaseholders for— (1)the preparation of the management plan; and (2)the implementation of projects approved by the Secretary under the management plan. (b)

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 historic district. (2)

Requirements

The management plan shall include— (A)an evaluation of— (i)the condition of historic and architectural resources in the historic district; and (ii)the environmental conditions in the historic 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 historic district; (iii)establishing gateways to the historic district; (iv)establishing and maintaining parks and public spaces in the historic district; (v)developing public parking areas in the historic district; (vi)improving pedestrian and vehicular circulation in the historic district; and (vii)improving security in the historic district. (3)

Restoration, Maintenance, and Interpretation

(A)

Cooperative Agreements

For projects recommended in the management plan, the Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with the city of Philadelphia, agents of the city, and designated partners to— (i)provide technical assistance with respect to the preservation and interpretation of properties within the historic district; and (ii)mark, improve, restore, and provide interpretation of properties within the historic district. (B)

Contents

A cooperative agreement under subparagraph (A) shall ensure that— (i)the Secretary has a right of access at reasonable times to public portions of the historic district for interpretive and other purposes; and (ii)no change or alteration shall be made in the property except with the agreement of the property owner, the Secretary, and any Federal agency that may have regulatory jurisdiction over the property. (c)

Capital Projects

(1)

In general

The Secretary shall, to the extent funds are available, make grants for capital improvements in the historic district. (2)

Application

To be eligible for a grant under this subsection, an entity shall submit to the Secretary an application that includes information concerning how the proposed capital project will improve the historic district. (3)

Considerations

In making grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall— (A)consider the cost and benefit of the proposed capital project; and (B)give priority to proposed capital projects— (i)providing gateways to, and signage for, the historic district; (ii)improving historical monuments in the historic district; (iii)maintaining public parks and spaces in the historic district; (iv)establishing a trail in the historic district; (v)maintaining and improving the lake in the historic district; (vi)improving the streetscape, including lighting, of the Girard Gateway; (vii)improving pedestrian and vehicular traffic circulation and parking at the western end of the Centennial Exhibition grounds; or (viii)restoring Memorial Hall. (4)

Matching funds

To be eligible for a grant under this subsection, the recipient shall provide matching, non-Federal funds in an amount equal to not less than 20 percent of the total amount of the grant.

Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $45,000,000 for fiscal years 2009 through 2013. Of the amount appropriated pursuant to this section, the Secretary shall obligate not more than 12 percent for planning and technical assistance.