L’ANSE — For its efforts in establishing a more streamlined development process and overall community development vision, the Village of L’Anse achieved the Redevelopment Ready Communities Essentials designation, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation has announced.

Redevelopment Ready Communities is a voluntary initiative which 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 and was launched statewide in 2013. 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.

After engaging communities and other partners for feedback, MEDC evolved the RRC toolkit to introduce two designations: “Essentials” and “Certified.” This allows communities to choose the path that best suits their needs, considering their capacity, goals, and local factors. Achieving the RRC Essentials designation formally acknowledges that a community has a clear vision for the future and the essential practices to realize that vision.

“We applaud the Village of L’Anse for achieving Essentials status,” said MEDC Chief Place Officer Michele Wildman. “The Village of L’Anse 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.”