Designation signals communities have identified redevelopment goals, created a master plan for the future

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

Redevelopment Ready Communities, launched statewide in 2013, is a voluntary initiative that 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. 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.

Based on feedback from communities and other stakeholders, MEDC evolved the RRC toolkit in February 2021 to include two different designations: “Essentials” and “Certified.” Communities can now determine which path is most appropriate for their needs based on capacity, community goals, and other local factors. Reaching the RRC Essentials designation is a formal recognition that a community has a vision for the future and the fundamental practices in place to get there.

“We applaud the village of Marcellus for achieving Essentials status,” said MEDC Senior Vice President of Economic Development Incentives and Services Michele Wildman. “Marcellus 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 village and supporting its continued economic development efforts.”

To achieve the Essentials designation, Marcellus 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 a large-scale master plan and zoning ordinance update. The village’s efforts have produced high-quality documents and processes that will continue to generate value. The village of Marcellus has future plans to pursue full RRC Certification now that it has reached the Essentials designation.

“We knew we had our work cut out for us when we first decided to pursue the MEDC's Redevelopment Ready Community status, which is why we initially chose the Essentials path,” said Village Manager/Clerk Jacqueline Terrill. “We really didn't realize how many things were holding us back until we started the review process. For example, we had parking regulations for our downtown area that were impossible to comply with. Now that we've made so much progress and have begun to see the immediate benefits and value of our work in truly becoming a community ready for redevelopment, we look forward to pursuing Certified status with the RRC team.”

Currently, the MEDC has 67 formally recognized Michigan communities in all corners of the state at the Certified level and 16 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.

“We are excited about taking on this project, which lead the Village to review and update its Master Plan and Zoning Ordinance in addition to its policies and procedures,” said Village President Dennis Irwin. “The village is currently working on a downtown streetscape project with the help of RAP funds, which means a beautified downtown area for our residents, visitors, and business owners. The village and its DDA are also working on the restoration and stabilization of a downtown building. With the grace and good luck of grant funding, we will be able to complete this project to save the historic building from suffering the same fate as the old Columbian Hotel that was demolished in 2016. I thank the Village of Marcellus Planning Commission, DDA, the manager/clerk and our village council for their effort and dedication to becoming a Redevelopment Ready 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.