City of Manistique achieves MEDC’s Redevelopment Ready Communities “Essentials” status

LANSING, Mich. - For its efforts in establishing a more streamlined development process and overall community development vision, the City of Manistique has achieved the Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) Essentials designation, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) announced today.

Launched statewide in 2013, RRC 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. 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 City of Manistique for achieving Essentials status," said MEDC SVP of Community Planning and Development Readiness Michele Wildman. "The City of Manistique 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 City and supporting its continued economic development efforts."

To achieve the Essentials designation, the City of Manistique 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 updating the master plan, developing a capital improvements plan and updating the boards and recruitment information. The City's efforts have produced high-quality documents and processes that will continue to generate value.

"The Redevelopment Ready Communities process started a few years ago for us. We were a newly formed Council with a new City Manager so with some shifting and sorting we were able to slowly begin to tackle the framework for the Essentials status," said City Mayor Joan Ecclesine. "Guided by former planner Christopher Germain for a short time at the beginning and then working Pablo Majano to the end, we have gained understanding and respect for having all the Best Practices in place. We greatly appreciated the unfailing effort as Pablo reviewed our work and helped us improve ordinances, policies, accountability and transparency. I feel as we move forward, we definitely have a solid foundation to meet the challenges of small-town promotion and development with our Essentials status certification."

"Achieving the Redevelopment Ready Communities Essentials designation through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation marks a significant milestone for the City of Manistique and reflects a sustained, organization-wide commitment to improvement," said City ManagerCorey Barr. "Through access to technical assistance, training and statewide networking, the City is better equipped to pursue strategic development initiatives, support local businesses, and enhance quality of life for our residents. I would like to recognize the efforts of City Council, the Planning Commission, staff and our partners who contributed to this accomplishment. Their work has created a strong operational framework that will support thoughtful growth and investment for years to come."

To date, the MEDC has formally recognized 92 Michigan communities in all corners of the state at the Certified level and 39 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: FacebookInstagramLinkedIn, and Twitter.