Section 2557. Purchase and sale of real property

The board of education
  may purchase real property for any of the purposes authorized by law and
  shall take title thereof in the name of the city, which shall hold  said
  property  in  trust  for the use of such school district and the city is
  hereby empowered to sell and convey the same when it deems  it  for  the
  interest  of  such  school district, and when the owner of such property
  refuses to sell the same or such board is unable to agree with the owner
  of such property on the purchase price thereof, it shall have the  power
  and  authority  to  institute  such  proceedings  and  take  any  action
  necessary to acquire title to such property under and  pursuant  to  the
  provisions  of  the eminent domain procedure law,  except that in a city
  in which the common council, board of contract and supply or other  city
  officers  or  body were authorized and empowered by law to acquire title
  to real property for school purposes under the laws  in  force  on  June
  eighth,  nineteen  hundred  seventeen,  said council, board, officers or
  body shall continue to possess such powers and shall exercise the  same,
  including  the  power  to acquire real property for said purposes except
  further that such real  property  shall  be  acquired  pursuant  to  the
  eminent domain procedure law.