MEDC announces 2014 Redevelopment Ready Communities program participants

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation today announced the 2014 round of communities to be selected for participation in the statewide Redevelopment Ready Communities® (RRC) program.

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Economic Development Corporation today announced the 2014 round of communities to be selected for participation in the statewide Redevelopment Ready Communities® (RRC) program. RRC is a voluntary, no cost program that assists local municipalities in establishing a sound foundation for redevelopment and investment to occur in their communities.

“The RRC program provides communities with an external assessment of their planning and development policies,” said MEDC President and CEO Michael A. Finney. “It’s an important resource that helps communities review their practices to foster vibrant places where businesses and talent want to be. Without strong communities, we can’t attract talent.”

RRC Program participants receive a comprehensive assessment measuring their community and economic development practices to the RRC best practice standards. The program measures and then certifies communities that integrate transparency, predictability and efficiency into their daily development practices. The RRC certification is a formal recognition that a community has a vision for the future and the fundamental practices in place to get there. This was the second competitive application round since the MEDC launched the program. 

2014 communities receiving formal RRC evaluation include:

Alpena
Battle Creek
Dearborn
Dexter
Escanaba
Farmington
Flint
Hillsdale
Imlay City
Jackson
Kalamazoo
Manistee
Marshall
Middleville
Midland
Saginaw
Traverse City 

Communities chosen for RRC participation in 2013 continue to work toward RRC certification. They include: 

Allegan
Ann Arbor
Boyne City
Eastpointe
East Lansing
Ferndale
Lansing
Lathrup Village
Lincoln Park
Muskegon
Novi
Roseville
Southfield
Ypsilanti 

More than 65 communities requested access to the 2014 competitive application. Due to the overwhelming interest in the program, the RRC Best Practice Training Series has been developed to build capacity, and engage any local municipality eager to work toward and adopt RRC best practices. Participants receive detailed information on evaluation criteria and examples of steps to take to accomplish certification requirements. The series will launch in the spring of 2014.

For more information on the Redevelopment Ready Communities Program, visit here:http://www.michiganbusiness.org/community/development-assistance/#rrc.

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn, and Twitter.