LANSING, Mich. – For its efforts in establishing a more streamlined development process and overall community development vision, the Village of L’Anse achieved the Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) Essentials designation, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) announced today.
Redevelopment Ready Communities is a voluntary initiative which empowers communities to shape their future as they strive to become RRC Certified by building a foundation of planning, zoning, and economic development best practices and integrating them into their everyday functions and was launched statewide in 2013. RRC promotes 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.
After engaging communities and other partners for feedback, MEDC evolved the RRC toolkit to introduce two designations: “Essentials” and “Certified.” This allows communities to choose the path that best suits their needs, considering their capacity, goals, and local factors. Achieving the RRC Essentials designation formally acknowledges that a community has a clear vision for the future and the essential practices to realize that vision.
“We applaud the Village of L’Anse for achieving Essentials status,” said MEDC Chief Place Officer Michele Wildman. “The Village of L’Anse has identified its desired direction for the future and has a plan to achieve its goals for the community. We look forward to building upon our relationship with the village and supporting its continued economic development efforts.”
To achieve the Essentials designation, the Village of L’Anse 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 includes the adoption of the master plan, the development of the capital improvements plan and providing resources online to better understand village’s review process. The village’s efforts have produced high-quality documents and processes that will continue to generate value.
“The Village is excited to achieve the RRC Essentials milestone,” said Village Manager Bob La Fave. “We look forward to working with our partners at the MEDC to further the development of our community.”
To date, the MEDC has formally recognized 82 Michigan communities in all corners of the state at the Certified level and 31 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. See the entire list of Redevelopment Ready Communities.
“The Village has long been a leader in development in Baraga County,” said Village President Ron Ervast. “Having achieved RRC Essentials status, we look forward to collaborating with the MEDC in building a better L’Anse and Baraga County.”
Read the full press release here.