City of Chelsea achieves MEDC’s Redevelopment Ready Communities “Essentials” status

LANSING, Mich. – For its efforts in establishing a more streamlined development process and overall community development vision, the City of Chelsea achieved the Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) Essentials designation, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced today.

RRC is a voluntary initiative which empowers communities to shape their future as they strive to become RRC Certified by building a foundation of planning, zoning, and economic development best practices and integrating them into their everyday functions and was launched statewide in 2013. RRC promotes communities to be development ready and competitive in today’s economy by actively engaging stakeholders and proactively planning, making them more attractive for projects that create places where people want to live, work, and invest.

After engaging communities and other partners for feedback, MEDC evolved the RRC toolkit to introduce two designations: “Essentials” and “Certified.” This allows communities to choose the path that best suits their needs, considering their capacity, goals, and local factors. Achieving the RRC Essentials designation formally acknowledges that a community has a clear vision for the future and the essential practices to realize that vision.

“We applaud the City of Chelsea for achieving Essentials status,” said MEDC SVP of Community Planning & Development Readiness Michele Wildman. “Chelsea has identified its desired direction for the future and has a plan to achieve its goals for the community. We look forward to building upon our relationship with the city and supporting its continued economic development efforts.”

To achieve the Essentials designation, Chelsea worked to incorporate all the key documents and practices to provide a predictable development experience and meet local planning and zoning responsibilities under Michigan law. This includes updating the city’s internal processes to help better streamline development and project review, formalizing the city’s board recruitment and appointment process, and updating the city’s website to include all relevant information to promote transparency and citizen engagement. The city’s efforts have produced high-quality documents and processes that will continue to generate value.

"This has been a long-time goal for the city,” said City of Chelsea Mayor Jane Pacheco. “It represents the accumulation of a lot of work on behalf of city staff over a number of years. We are delighted to be recognized for the work we have done, but more importantly the designation means that we have tools and systems in place that make working with the city easier and more efficient. We look forward to the opportunities that the designation opens for the city."

"Achieving RRC Essentials status is an important milestone for the City of Chelsea,” said Marc Thompson, interim city manager. “It reflects our commitment to transparent governance, thoughtful planning, and meaningful community engagement. This accomplishment lays a strong foundation for future development and positions Chelsea to better partner with the MEDC and other stakeholders as we continue to grow and thrive.”

To date, the MEDC has formally recognized 87 Michigan communities in all corners of the state at the Certified level and 35 at the Essentials level. These communities 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.

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.