City of Gladwin 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 city of Gladwin has been awarded the Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) certification, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced today.

MEDC formally recognizes the city of Gladwin as a Certified Redevelopment Ready Community in Michigan. Gladwin joins an elite group of 56 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. 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 Senior Vice President Michele Wildman. “The city of Gladwin is well-positioned to continue to implement their vision for the future and further improve the quality of life for its residents. We look forward to building upon our relationship with the city and supporting local economic development efforts.”

As an RRC participant, the city of Gladwin 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 city’s efforts through Project Rising Tide also played a pivotal role in reaching this milestone including hosting a Community Development Fellow, updating its master plan, and creating a new brand to help the city market itself to residents, businesses, and investors.

“We wish to thank our partners at the MEDC for assisting us to achieve this goal,” said City Administrator Christopher Shannon. “It was through a coordinated effort of city staff, and various boards and commissions, particularly the Zoning Administrator Bernadette Weaver and Planning Commission, which made this certification possible. It could not have come to fruition without the MEDC support staff that guided us through the process and provided us an opportunity to fine-tune our planning processes, enabling us to serve our constituents and possible investors in our community.”

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.