City of Alpena receives certification as Redevelopment Ready Community
Designation facilitates private investment, improves economic development opportunities
LANSING, Mich. – For establishing a solid foundation to attract private investment and further build on municipality assets, the city of Alpena has been awarded Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) certification, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced today.
The MEDC will formally present the award in recognition of the City's new designation at 11 a.m. Friday, June 8 at 310 North Second Avenue (outdoor event).
The Northern Michigan city joins 23 other communities that have qualified as "thoroughly prepared" when it comes to planning, zoning along with other key features that remove traditional barriers and promote opportunities for prospective investors. Other certified RRC communities include Allegan, Battle Creek, Boyne City, Dearborn, Eastpointe, Escanaba, Ferndale, Grand Rapids, Hudsonville, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Lathrup Village, Manistee, Marshall, Middleville, Muskegon, Oak Park, Pinckney, Roseville, Southfield, Traverse City and 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. "We look forward to building upon our relationship with the City and supporting them in their local efforts.
As an RRC participant, the city of Alpena received a comprehensive assessment that measures current community and economic development practices compared to RRC best practice standards. Further, the program evaluates and certifies communities that integrate transparency, predictability and efficiency into economic development practices. Certification status provides a compelling sign that a community has removed development barriers and streamlined processes to be more competitive and attractive to investors.
"Participating in the RRC program was able to provide the City of Alpena a fast and easy way to evaluate our economic development efforts, and work with the MEDC to bring the industry best practices to all areas of our economic development spectrum," said Alpena Planning and Development Director Adam Poll. "This has allowed us to create an environment where both developers and the city of Alpena are on the same page from day one. "