(1) "Blighted area" means any improved or vacant area within the boundaries of a redevelopment project area located within the territorial limits of the municipality where:

1. (a) if improved, industrial, commercial, and residential buildings or improvements, because of a combination of five or more of the following factors: age; dilapidation; obsolescence; deterioration; illegal use of individual structures; presence of structures below minimum code standards; excessive vacancies; overcrowding of structures and community facilities; lack of necessary transportation infrastructure; presence of or potential environmental hazards; lack of water or wastewater services; inadequate electric, natural gas or other energy services; lack of modern communications infrastructure; lack of ventilation, light, sanitary or storm drainage facilities; inadequate utilities; excessive land coverage; deleterious land use or layout; depreciation of physical maintenance; lack of community planning; and static or declining land values are detrimental to the public safety, health, morals, or welfare or;

2. (b) if vacant, the sound growth is impaired by:

   1. (i) a combination of two or more of the following factors: obsolete platting of the vacant land; diversity of ownership of such land; tax and special assessment delinquencies on such land; deterioration of structures or site improvements in neighboring areas adjacent to the vacant land; overcrowding of structures and community facilities in neighboring areas adjacent to the vacant land; lack of necessary transportation infrastructure; presence of or potential environmental hazard; lack of water, or wastewater; lack of storm drainage facilities; inadequate electric and natural gas energy services; and lack of modern communications infrastructure; or

   2. (ii) the area immediately prior to becoming vacant qualified as a blighted area. Any area within a redevelopment plan established by Chapter 10 of Title 31 is deemed to be a blighted area.

      (1.5) "Agricultural area" means any unimproved or vacant area formerly developed and used primarily for agricultural purposes within the boundaries of a redevelopment project area located within the territorial limits of the municipality where redevelopment and sound growth is impaired by a combination of three or more of the following factors: obsolete platting of the land; diversity of ownership of the land; tax and special assessment delinquencies on the land; deterioration of structures or site improvements in neighboring areas adjacent to the land; overcrowding of structures and community facilities in neighboring areas adjacent to the land; lack of necessary transportation infrastructure; presence of or potential environmental hazards; lack of water or wastewater; lack of storm drainage facilities; inadequate electric, natural gas or other energy services; lack of modern communications infrastructure; lack of community planning; agricultural foreclosures; and static or declining land values.

(2) "Conservation area" means any improved area or vacant area within the boundaries of a redevelopment project area located within the territorial limits of the municipality that is not yet a blighted area where:

1. (a) if improved, because of a combination of three or more of the following factors: age; dilapidation; obsolescence; deterioration; illegal use of individual structures; presence of structures below minimum code standards; excessive vacancies; overcrowding of structures and community facilities; lack of necessary transportation infrastructure; presence of or potential environmental hazards; lack of water or wastewater services; inadequate electric, natural gas or other energy services; lack of modern communications infrastructure; lack of ventilation, light, sanitary or storm drainage facilities; inadequate utilities; excessive land coverage; deleterious land use or layout; depreciation of physical maintenance; lack of community planning; and static or declining land values are detrimental to the public safety, health, morals, or welfare or;
2. (b) if vacant, the sound growth is impaired by a combination of two or more of the following factors: obsolete platting of the vacant land; diversity of ownership of the land; tax and special assessment delinquencies on the land; deterioration of structures or site improvements in neighboring areas adjacent to the vacant land; overcrowding of structures and community facilities in neighboring areas adjacent to the vacant land; lack of necessary transportation infrastructure; presence of or potential environmental hazard; lack of water, or wastewater; lack of storm drainage facilities; inadequate electric and natural gas energy services; and lack of modern communications infrastructure; is detrimental to the public safety, health, morals, or welfare and may become a blighted area.

(8) "Redevelopment project costs" means and includes the sum total of all reasonable or necessary costs incurred or estimated to be incurred and any costs incidental to a redevelopment project. The costs include, without limitation:

1. (a) costs of studies and surveys, plans, and specifications; professional service costs including, but not limited to, architectural, engineering, legal, marketing, financial, planning, or special services.
2. (b) property assembly costs including, but not limited to, acquisition of land and other property, real or personal, or rights or interest therein, demolition of buildings, and the clearing and grading of land.
3. (c) costs of rehabilitation, reconstruction, repair, or remodeling of a redevelopment project.
4. (d) costs of the construction and long-term maintenance of a redevelopment project.
5. (e) financing costs including, but not limited to, all necessary and incidental expenses related to the issuance of obligations and which may include payment of interest on any obligations issued under the provisions of this chapter accruing during the estimated period of construction of any redevelopment project for which the obligations are issued and including reasonable reserves related thereto.
6. (f) relocation costs, including relocation or removal costs of federal, state, or local government facilities or activities, to the extent that a municipality determines that relocation costs must be paid or required by federal or state law.