Community leaders: Has waiting for the phone to ring been a successful strategy for redevelopment?
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EmailRedevelopment Ready Community program offers assistance to communities wanting to “be prepared” and “be proactive”.
Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) is a free state-wide certification program that supports local units of government to become development ready and competitive in today’s economy. It encourages communities to adopt innovative redevelopment strategies and efficient processes that integrate transparency, predictability and efficiency into their daily practices building confidence among business and developers.
Through this program, the municipality will evaluate themselves in six key areas including: Community Plans and Public Outreach, Zoning Regulations, Development Review Process, Education and Recruitment, Redevelopment Ready Sites, and Community Prosperity to see what improvements can be made and what barriers may be impeding on growth. 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.
Once the community completes the self-evaluations, passes a resolution, and attends a mandatory training they will be eligible to submit an application and become formally engaged in the program. Communities accepted into RRC will receive services and assistance from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) in identifying and marketing their most important redevelopment properties. The program also provides real estate development feasibility studies on focus areas identified by the community.
Michigan State University Extension partner Northern Lakes Economic Alliance (NLEA) is assisting communities in their four county region with the expertise and resources to help get you started on the path to becoming a RRC Community. There are currently three communities in the state of Michigan who are certified and one community within the NLEA region formally engaged in the process. To learn more about how your community can take advantage of this program contact the NLEA online or at 231-582-6482.
