LANSING, Mich. – For their efforts in establishing a solid foundation to attract private investment and further build on municipality assets, the city of Laingsburg has been awarded the Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) certification, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) announced today.
The MEDC
will formally present the award on Monday, April 1 at the regularly scheduled
7:00 pm city council meeting. The meeting will take place at City Hall, located
at 114 S Woodhull Rd. in Laingsburg.
Laingsburg joins 31 other Michigan communities that have qualified as
“thoroughly prepared” when it comes to planning and zoning to remove
traditional barriers and promote opportunities for prospective investors.
Other certified RRC communities include:
- Allegan
- Alpena
- Battle Creek
- Bessemer
- Boyne City
- Dearborn
- Eastpointe
- Escanaba
- Ferndale
- Grand Haven
- Grand Rapids
- Grayling
- Howell
- Hudsonville
- Jackson
- Kalamazoo
- Lansing
- Lathrup Village
- Manistee
- Marshall
- Meridian Charter Township
- Middleville
- Mount Pleasant
- Muskegon
- Oak Park
- Petoskey
- Pinckney
- Roseville
- Southfield
- Traverse City
- Ypsilanti
“Our
mission at MEDC is to empower communities so they can proactively shape their
future; a future built on a solid foundation of retaining and attracting
business investment and talent,” said MEDC Senior Vice President Katharine
Czarnecki. “Laingsburg’s commitment to continuous improvement and
community-focused development will pay dividends for many years to come. We are
especially excited to welcome Laingsburg as our first certified community in
the East-Central Michigan region. With several new projects underway, they are
a prime example of what is possible when a community invests in itself to
prepare for the future.”
As
an RRC participant, the city of Laingsburg received a comprehensive assessment
that measured current community and economic development practices compared to
RRC best practice standards. The program evaluates and certifies communities
which integrate transparency, predictability and efficiency into 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.
“The RRC program has helped us as a city as well as our community,” said Mayor
Michael Culpepper. “The opportunities for growth and prosperity with our
education and knowledge from the program are priceless.”
To reach
certification, the city of Laingsburg undertook several notable projects: an
update to its downtown investment plan, creation of an economic development
strategy, several changes to its zoning ordinance, steps to streamline its
development review process, and a new approach to training for elected
officials and staff.
“It was not an easy
process, however, the RRC Team was always available to assist and encourage us
to keep moving forward,” said City Clerk/Treasurer Paula Willoughby. “I could
not be prouder of our community leaders throughout this process. They stepped
up to the challenge and the rewards are rolling in. We currently have two
developments in the works that I am not sure would have been possible without
the RRC Process paving the way.”