What’s happening: The City of Hancock is open for business and the State of Michigan wants everybody to know it. Hancock has officially been certified as a Redevelopment Ready Community, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced, making the Houghton County city the 66th such community to be accepted into the exclusive statewide program.
What it is: The Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) program offers Michigan communities a collection of economic development best practices that, once met, indicate to investors that the community is an attractive place to do business. Developed by both the private and public sectors, the RRC program stresses transparency, predictability, and efficiency when it comes to economic development. Community planning efforts, zoning and development review policies, board- and commission- building, economic development and marketing practices, and the identification of priority redevelopment sites are all taken into account when certifying a Redevelopment Ready Community.
What it means: Now that Hancock has been certified, the city has increased access to the resources of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. This includes technical assistance and match funding, site marketing support, and the opportunity to work with the Redevelopment Services Team, which includes partnerships in site analysis, RFP/RFQ development, site design, environmental assessments, marketing assistance, and developer matchmaking events.
Why it’s important: “It is a tremendous honor and achievement for the city of Hancock to be recognized as an RRC-certified community. We are excited about the additional possibilities and resources that are now available through the MEDC. This certification is yet another reason to be optimistic about the future of Hancock,” says City Mayor Paul LaBine.
“We believe this offers prospective developers, residents, and investors more confidence to become a part of the community, as Hancock is a thriving city with much to offer. We have achieved this through the combined efforts of all municipal staff, our city council, the planning commission, public participation, and the Downtown Development Authority in enhancing our current strengths and adopting new procedures to fully meet the RRC standards. In particular, Mary, our city manager, and the late Deb Mann, our DDA coordinator, deserve praise for their efforts in obtaining this certification, which has placed Hancock in a strong position for future growth.”
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