Washtenaw County could soon have two communities certified as Redevelopment Ready. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation took over the program two years ago and is in the middle of re-certifying Ypsilanti, while Ann Arbor joins the list of eight new communities to be evaluated.
WEMU's Andrew Cluley has more.
Michigan Economic Development officials say the top criticism potential developers have about re-development opportunities in the state is communities that are unpredictable and constantly changing the rules on what's allowed.
To help developers know what communities are ready for redevelopment options the MEDC purchased the Redevelopment Ready Communities program. Ann Arbor is one of 8 communities out of 36 applicants that have advanced to the evaluation stage of the program. Ypsilanti earned the Redevelopment Ready designation when the program was run by the Michigan Suburbs Alliance and is in the processing of being re-certified.
The Redevelopment Ready Communities Specialist, Jennifer Rigterink says the evaluation will be based on a variety of city documents and also include discussions with developers that recently went through the city's process. She explains that the city won't receive funding for earning the designation but will get marketing assistance and should have an advantage for getting competitive state grants.
For more information on the Redevelopment Ready Communities Program, visit here: http://www.michiganadvantage.org/Redevelopment-Ready-Communities/. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation markets the state with a focus on business, talent, jobs and helping to grow the economy. For more on MEDC and its initiatives, visit: MichiganAdvantage.org.
