City of Lake City achieves MEDC's Redevelopment Ready Communities 'Essentials' status

Designation signals communities have identified redevelopment goals and created a community-supported vision for the future

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

RRC, launched statewide in 2013, 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 Lake City for achieving Essentials status," said MEDC Chief Place Officer Michele Wildman. "The City of Lake City 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 Lake City 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 a re-write of the zoning ordinance, approval of the public participation plan and the development of a capital improvements plan. The city's efforts have produced high-quality documents and processes that will continue to generate value.

"This milestone marks our commitment to transparent, predictable, and efficient planning core practices that signal to investors and developers that Lake City is open for business and ready for revitalization for the City," said Mayor Craig Ardis. "The MEDC's services will help level the playing field, especially for developers considering smaller but hungry cities like Lake City. Achieving this designation confirms that Lake City has implemented essential best practices in planning, zoning, public outreach, prosperity strategy, and redevelopment site identification, all of which support a predictable development environment for the City of Lake City."

To date, the MEDC has formally recognized 84 Michigan communities in all corners of the state at the Certified level and 33 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.

"Our long journey with MEDC has led to a great outcome that prioritizes what's best for our residents, laying a strong foundation for continued growth and opportunity in the future of our city government," said City Administrator Patrick Smith. "This Essentials designation is a pivotal step toward our community's future, creating momentum for redevelopment, attracting capital, and laying the groundwork for certification down the road and even greater opportunities ahead. This achievement positions us well to attract new partnerships, strengthen our local economy, and create welcoming spaces where people can live, work, and invest."

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 https://www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at https://www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn, and Twitter.

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