City of Grand Rapids receives certification as Redevelopment Ready Community

Designation facilitates private investment, improves economic development opportunities

LANSING, Mich. – For establishing a solid foundation to attract private investment and further build on municipality assets, the city of Grand Rapids has been awarded Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) certification, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced today.

The MEDC will formally present the award in recognition of the city’s new designation at 10 a.m. Monday, May 21 in the ninth-floor Commission Chambers at City Hall, 300 Monroe Ave. NW., Grand Rapids.

The west Michigan city joins 20 other communities that have qualified as “thoroughly prepared” when it comes to planning, zoning along with other key features that remove traditional barriers and promote opportunities for prospective investors. Other certified RRC communities include Allegan, Battle Creek, Boyne City, Dearborn, Eastpointe, Escanaba, Ferndale, Hudsonville, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Lathrup Village, Manistee, Marshall, Middleville, Muskegon, Pinckney, Roseville, Southfield, Traverse City and Ypsilanti.

“Our mission at MEDC is to empower communities so they can proactively shape their future; a future built on a solid foundation of retaining and attracting business investment and talent,” said MEDC Senior Vice President Katharine Czarnecki. “We look forward to building upon our relationship with the city and supporting them in their local efforts.” 

As an RRC participant, the city of Grand Rapids received a comprehensive assessment that measures current community and economic development practices compared to RRC best practice standards. Further, the program evaluates and certifies communities that integrate transparency, predictability and efficiency into economic development practices. Certification status provides a compelling sign that a community has removed development barriers and streamlined processes to be more competitive and attractive to investors.

“Through this assessment, it became clear there were a number of things we were already doing right,” said Kara Wood, the city’s managing director of economic development. “The process reminded us that intentional and consistent communication to the community was important and that some improvements to ensure full transparency and development predictability were needed.

“This certification demonstrates to community stakeholders and investors that Grand Rapids has a unified vision and streamlined process – and is ready to support development investment.”

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.