City of Rochester Hills receives certification as Redevelopment Ready Community

Designation facilitates private investment, improves economic development opportunities

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

Rochester Hills joins 44 other Michigan communities in all corners of the state which have qualified as “thoroughly prepared” when it comes to planning and zoning to remove traditional barriers and promote opportunities for prospective investors. Visit here to see the entire list of Redevelopment Ready Communities.

“Being named a certified Redevelopment Ready Community is another example of how the city's Planning & Economic Development team is excelling. It signals they have demonstrated that we have the expertise, the tools and the process to thrive when it comes to smart and thoughtful development – and business retention – in our community,” said Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan K. Barnett. “It's another great step forward.”

As an RRC participant, the city of Rochester Hills received a comprehensive assessment that measured current community and economic development practices compared to RRC Best Practice standards. The program evaluates and certifies communities that integrate transparency, predictability and efficiency into their economic development practices. Certification status is a compelling indicator that a community has removed development barriers and streamlined processes to be more competitive and attractive to investors.

“Our mission at MEDC is to support Michigan’s strong economic momentum and encourage communities to establish strong planning, zoning and economic development foundations,” said MEDC Senior Vice President Michele Wildman. “Rochester Hills is well-positioned to continue to implement their vision for the future and further improve the quality of life for its residents. We look forward to continuing to support local economic development efforts while building upon our relationship with the city.”

To reach certification, the city of Rochester Hills undertook several notable projects, including updating the Master Plan in 2018 and adopting new zoning ordinances that align with the Master Plan in 2019. Rochester Hills also created a public participation plan and guide to development, which includes flowcharts and key contact information. Additionally, the city updated their property information package and created an economic development and marketing strategy. The city’s efforts have produced high-quality documents and processes that will continue to generate value.

“City staff have been hard at work streamlining processes and updating plans and ordinances to ensure Rochester Hills remains a competitive city for business and talent attraction,” said Rochester Hills Planning and Economic Development Director Sara Roediger. “As the newest city in a prestigious group of forward-thinking communities in Michigan, we are thrilled to have achieved this certification and look forward to working with the MEDC and potential developers to help implement the vision of Rochester Hills.”

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.