City of Charlevoix receives certification as Redevelopment Ready Community

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 Charlevoix has been awarded the Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) certification, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) announced today.

The MEDC formally recognizes the city of Charlevoix as the 48th certified Redevelopment Ready Community in Michigan. Charlevoix joins 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.

“Though the RRC program, Charlevoix is well-positioned to implement and build upon their vision for the future of the community and deliver a strong quality of life for its residents,” said MEDC Senior Vice President of Community Development, Michele Wildman. “We are committed to helping grow vibrant communities and thriving downtowns across Michigan by empowering communities to build economic momentum through strong planning, zoning and development efforts. We look forward to continuing to work together with Charlevoix on these efforts.”

As an RRC participant, the city of Charlevoix 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.

“The Redevelopment Ready Certification is another way we are working to ensure we are welcoming to business and supporting the kind of growth Charlevoix expects,” said Mayor Luther Kurtz. “We have done a lot over the years to make Charlevoix a great year-round community for living and working and this is another advancement of those efforts. We are on a roll for positive community development from downtown to our business park to housing initiatives. RRC will help us pull all of these together.”

To reach certification Charlevoix worked to improve upon numerous policies and processes. The city’s efforts are highlighted by developing an overarching economic development strategy, the creation of a public participation plan, and the development of flowcharts that clarify the steps in each of the city’s development review processes. The city’s efforts have produced high-quality documents and processes that will continue to generate value.

“RRC is a guidebook for transparent decision-making and helping make the approval process understandable and predictable; this kind of thinking is good for our residents and businesses alike. I appreciate the hard work of our staff, especially in planning, zoning, DDA, and our Community Development Fellow, for helping us earn this certification,” said Charlevoix City Manager Mark Heydlauff. “Together, Charlevoix staff along with our development boards and City Council are eager to help businesses start, grow, and prosper in Charlevoix in keeping with the long-developed community standards.”

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.