Cities of Clawson and Mount Clemens and village of Spring Lake achieve “Essentials” status in MEDC’s Redevelopment Ready Communities program

Designation signals communities have identified redevelopment goals, created a master plan for the future

LANSING, Mich. – For their efforts in establishing a more streamlined, predictable development process and overall community development vision, the communities of Clawson, Mt. Clemens, and Spring Lake have all achieved the Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) Essentials designation, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced today.

The RRC Program was launched statewide by the MEDC in 2013. RRC is a voluntary initiative that empowers communities to shape their future as they strive to build a foundation of planning, zoning, and economic development best practices and integrating them into their everyday functions. RRC encourages communities to be development ready and competitive in today’s economy by actively engaging stakeholders and proactively planning, making them more attractive for projects that create places where people want to live, work, and invest.

Based on feedback from communities and other stakeholders, MEDC evolved RRC in February 2021 to include two different designations: “Essentials” and “Certified.” Communities can now determine which path is most appropriate for their needs based on capacity, community goals, and other local factors. Reaching the RRC Essentials designation is a formal recognition that a community has a vision for the future and the fundamental practices in place to get there.

“We applaud the communities of Clawson, Mount Clemens, and Spring Lake for achieving Essentials status,” said MEDC Executive Vice President of Economic Development Incentives Michele Wildman. “Each one of these communities has identified its unique desired direction for the future and has a plan to achieve those goals. We look forward to building upon our existing relationships in these communities and supporting their continued economic development efforts.”

To achieve the Essentials designation, Mt. Clemens worked to incorporate all the key documents and practices to provide a predictable development experience and meet local planning and zoning responsibilities under Michigan law. This included a comprehensive zoning ordinance update and development review process streamlining.

“The accomplishment of completing the RRC Essential Status signifies our commitment to economic development and revitalization of the City of Mt. Clemens," said Mt. Clemens Mayor Laura Kropp. “I would like to thank the Community Development staff who worked on this project, especially Community Development Director Brian Tingley, who guided the city through this process.”

The city of Clawson’s efforts has produced high-quality planning documents and processes that will continue to generate value, including the creation and adoption of a Capital Improvements Plan, which will help the city be more competitive when applying for grant funding. As a result of their RRC participation, Clawson now advertises and encourages business owners and developers to reach out to and schedule a pre-application meeting to receive early feedback on their projects.

“The city of Clawson is proud to add the distinction of Essentials Redevelopment Ready Community to our list of accomplishments. This distinction will allow our residents, business owners, and potential developers fair and consistent practices, which are easily identifiable and accessible, resulting in a fine-tuned development process,” said Clawson Mayor Paula Milan. “We are extremely proud of the many stakeholders who participated in this process and are confident that this distinction will be one more reason Clawson will continue to be a destination of choice for future developments.”

The village of Spring Lake’s accomplishments include the creation of a public participation plan, a fully updated, modern, and user-friendly zoning ordinance, and ease of access to development-related information on the Village website. Both the village manager and village president expressed their excitement over this recent accomplishment.

“The village of Spring Lake is thrilled to reach our RRC Essentials status. By achieving RRC Essentials status, it allows us to uphold a thriving community and continue to create economic development opportunities,” said Village President Mark Powers. “Thank you to our village staff and the Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Ferrysburg Chamber of Commerce for their hard work and dedication over the past four years to achieve this milestone accomplishment.”

“Staff, both past and present, dedicated themselves to reaching RRC Essentials status, knowing the benefits and future opportunities would be vast,” said Spring Lake Village Manager Chris Burns. “The future is here, and we happily rejoice in this accomplishment.”

To date, the MEDC has formally recognized 65 Michigan communities in all corners of the state at the Certified level and six at the Essentials level. These communities have qualified as “thoroughly prepared” when it comes to planning and zoning, to remove traditional barriers and promote opportunities for prospective investors. To see the entire list of Redevelopment Ready Communities, visit here.

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.