City of West Branch receives Certification as Redevelopment Ready Community

Designation facilitates private investment, improves economic development opportunities

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

MEDC officially designates the City of West Branch as a Certified Redevelopment Ready Community in Michigan. West Branch now joins a distinguished group of 78 Michigan communities from all regions of the state that have qualified as “thoroughly prepared” in their planning and zoning efforts. This designation aims to eliminate traditional barriers and foster opportunities for potential investment. For a complete list of Redevelopment Ready Communities, visit here.

“Our mission at MEDC is to support Michigan’s strong economic momentum and empower communities to establish a strong planning, zoning and economic development foundation,” said MEDC Chief Place Officer Michele Wildman. “The City of West Branch 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 building upon our relationship with the City of West Branch and supporting local economic development efforts.”

As an RRC participant, the City of West Branch received a comprehensive assessment that measured current community and economic development practices compared to RRC best practice standards. Communities leverage the RRC toolkit to integrate transparency, predictability, and efficiency into local economic development practices. Certification is a compelling indicator that a community has removed development barriers and streamlined processes to be more competitive and attractive for investment.

“We are very excited to have the City of West Branch officially designated as a Certified Redevelopment Ready Community,” said Mayor Paul Frechette. “It was a long and strenuous process but our City staff worked very hard to streamline our development practices to show that West Branch is committed to taking the necessary steps to make the community a great place for investment in both families and businesses.”

As a certified community, the City of West Branch will have access to new tools to implement its community development goals as well as ongoing support and technical assistance from the Redevelopment Ready Communities team. Annual check-ins and updates will help ensure the City continues implementing the best practices over time. Certification is active for five years before needing to be renewed.

“The City of West Branch is honored to have earned the Redevelopment Ready Communities Certification through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation,” said City Manager John Dantzer. “The program worked with the City to put in place the necessary tools and streamlined processes to help maintain our existing businesses while making it easier to attract new business and developments. We are excited to partner with the MEDC to continue to improve our administrative processes and policies and look forward to our future collaboration.”

 

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.