Stanton 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 Stanton achieved the Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC)Essentials designation, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced today.

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 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 City of Stanton for achieving Essentials status," said MEDC SVP of Community Planning & Development Readiness Michele Wildman. "Stanton 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, Stanton 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. The city's efforts have produced high-quality documents and processes that will continue to generate value.

"It is an honor for the City of Stanton to be recognized as an Essentials Redevelopment Ready Community," said Mayor Bill Ferguson. "Our citizens have been hoping for growth and with that growth, job opportunities. We hope that with this recognition, we can continue to develop more opportunities for growth with new businesses and growth in the technology used to govern our city."

To date, the MEDC has formally recognized 87 Michigan communities in all corners of the state at the Certified level and 37 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.

"The City of Stanton is proud to announce its achievement as an RRC Essentials community," said City Manager Rachael Coffey. "We are eager to place Stanton on the map as a great place to invest and develop!"

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.