Village of Peck 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 Village of Peck 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 Village of Peck for achieving Essentials status," said MEDC SVP of Community Planning & Development Readiness Michele Wildman. "The Village of Peck 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, Peck 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 their zoning ordinance to make it user-friendly and ensuring bylaws for boards and commissions are up-to-date and available online. The village efforts have produced high-quality documents and processes that will continue to generate value.

"It's been a long road. Peck had nothing in ways of processes for being open to development when we started in 2021," said Village Supervisor Tim Heiden. "But with the help of technical assistance funds, we were able to update our 30+ year old zoning ordinances. Because we were engaged with RRC we were also able to secure MSHDA funds to update our master plan this year. With everything we have accomplished by participating in RRC, Peck is open for development. We already have 8 new housing units slated to begin construction in the Spring of 2026. We're very excited to see where we can take our little village from here."

"Tim Heiden has dedicated countless hours to aligning our village with the RRC Best Practices, enabling us to become the first Essentials designee in our region," said Village President Carie Bennett. "This accomplishment is a testament to the commitment of the village council, planning commission, and Tim, showcasing our shared vision for Peck's prosperity. By instituting these processes and guides, we are paving the way for future development and growth that will benefit both the village and the school district."

To date, the MEDC has formally recognized 84 Michigan communities in all corners of the state at the Certified level and 34 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 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.