Village of Cass City receives Certification as Redevelopment Ready Community

Designation facilitates private investment, improves economic development opportunities

LANSING, Mich. – For its efforts in establishing a solid foundation to attract private investment and further build on municipality assets, The village of Cass City has been awarded the Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) certification, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) announced today.

MEDC formally recognizes the village of Cass City as a Certified Redevelopment Ready Community in Michigan. Cass City joins an elite group of 66 Michigan communities in all corners of the state that 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 mission at MEDC is to support Michigan’s strong economic momentum and empower communities to establish a strong planning, zoning and economic development foundation,” said MEDC Executive Vice President of Economic Development Incentives Michele Wildman. “The village of Cass City is well positioned to continue to implement its vision for the future and further improve the quality of life for its residents. We look forward to building upon our relationship with the village and supporting local economic development efforts.”

As an RRC participant, The village of Cass City received a comprehensive assessment that measured current community and economic development practices compared to RRC best practice standards. The program evaluates and certifies communities that integrate transparency, predictability, and efficiency into economic development practices. Certification status is a compelling indicator that a community has removed development barriers and streamlined processes to be more competitive and attractive to investors.

“I cannot emphasize enough how far we have come in the past four years,” said Village Trustee and Planning Commission member Joe Leeson. “Working together, the village council, planning commission, and staff have updated the Master Plan and Zoning Ordinance using RRC guidelines for best practices.”

As a certified community, Cass City will have access to new tools to implement its community development goals as well as ongoing support and technical assistance from the Redevelopment Ready Communities team. Annual check-ins and updates will help ensure the village continues implementing the best practices over time. Certification is active for five years before needing to be renewed.

“The village’s pursuit of RRC certification has improved communication and relationships between our council, boards, committees, commissions, and other community stakeholders. There is more shared information and collaboration as we work toward our common goals for economic and community development,” said Village Manager Debbie Powell.

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: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn, and Twitter.