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 Village of Lexington has been awarded the Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) certification, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) announced on Nov. 4.

MEDC formally recognizes Lexington as a Certified Redevelopment Ready Community in Michigan. Lexington now joins a distinguished group of 75 Michigan communities from all regions of the state that have qualified as “thoroughly prepared” in their planning and zoning efforts. This designation aims to eliminate traditional barriers and foster opportunities for potential investment. 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 of Place, Programs, & Services Michele Wildman. “The Village of Lexington 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 village and supporting local economic development efforts.”

As an RRC participant, the Village of Lexington 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.

"I could not think of a single thing [this designation means to the village]... because it has meant so many things,” said Village President Kristen Kaatz. “The RRC process has allowed us as a community to raise the bar of expectation for how we operate and do business to its highest position. The hard work and dedication of so many different people, committees, organizations, elected officials, state government and more have helped us to achieve certification. It really does take a village! I believe that the more than $30 million in grant funding awarded to village projects over the past six years is a direct result of our RRC participation. We are not finished; our goal is continuous improvement. Thank you to everyone who contributed to our community's success!"

As a certified community, Lexington will have access to new tools to implement its community development goals as well as ongoing support and technical assistance from the RRC team. Annual check-ins and updates will help ensure the Village 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.