City of Laingsburg receives certification as Redevelopment Ready Community

Kathleen Achtenberg

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Designation facilitates private investment, improves economic development opportunities

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

The MEDC will formally present the award on Monday, April 1 at the regularly scheduled 7:00 pm city council meeting. The meeting will take place at City Hall, located at 114 S Woodhull Rd. in Laingsburg.

Laingsburg joins 31 other Michigan communities that have qualified as “thoroughly prepared” when it comes to planning and zoning to remove traditional barriers and promote opportunities for prospective investors.

Other certified RRC communities include:

  • Allegan
  • Alpena
  • Battle Creek
  • Bessemer
  • Boyne City
  • Dearborn
  • Eastpointe
  • Escanaba
  • Ferndale
  • Grand Haven
  • Grand Rapids
  • Grayling
  • Howell
  • Hudsonville
  • Jackson
  • Kalamazoo
  • Lansing
  • Lathrup Village
  • Manistee
  • Marshall
  • Meridian Charter Township
  • Middleville
  • Mount Pleasant
  • Muskegon
  • Oak Park
  • Petoskey
  • Pinckney
  • Roseville
  • Southfield
  • Traverse City
  • 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. “Laingsburg’s commitment to continuous improvement and community-focused development will pay dividends for many years to come. We are especially excited to welcome Laingsburg as our first certified community in the East-Central Michigan region. With several new projects underway, they are a prime example of what is possible when a community invests in itself to prepare for the future.”

As an RRC participant, the city of Laingsburg received a comprehensive assessment that measured current community and economic development practices compared to RRC best practice standards. The program evaluates and certifies communities which 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.

“The RRC program has helped us as a city as well as our community,” said Mayor Michael Culpepper. “The opportunities for growth and prosperity with our education and knowledge from the program are priceless.”

To reach certification, the city of Laingsburg undertook several notable projects: an update to its downtown investment plan, creation of an economic development strategy, several changes to its zoning ordinance, steps to streamline its development review process, and a new approach to training for elected officials and staff.

“It was not an easy process, however, the RRC Team was always available to assist and encourage us to keep moving forward,” said City Clerk/Treasurer Paula Willoughby. “I could not be prouder of our community leaders throughout this process. They stepped up to the challenge and the rewards are rolling in.  We currently have two developments in the works that I am not sure would have been possible without the RRC Process paving the way.”

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.

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