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

MEDC formally recognizes the City of East Tawas as a Certified Redevelopment Ready Community in Michigan. East Tawas joins an elite group of 74 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 Chief Place Officer Michele Wildman. “The City of East Tawas 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, East Tawas city staff received a comprehensive assessment that measured current community and economic development practices compared to RRC best practice standards. The toolkit 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 City of East Tawas is very grateful to have partnered with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to earn our Redevelopment Ready Communities Certification. The review process was a benefit not only to our municipality and administration staff but also to our community. It has helped us develop the necessary documents and tools to better serve our residents and stakeholders to maintain existing businesses and expand with new developments,” said Zoning Administrator Stephanie Loew. “We look forward to what the future holds in opportunities to partner with the MEDC to continue to improve our administrative processes and policies, and to explore grant funding for the community to maintain and grow businesses, services, and facilities.”

As a certified community, the City of East Tawas 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 city continues implementing the best practices over time. Certification is active for five years before needing to be renewed.

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.