City of Bessemer receives certification as Redevelopment Ready Community

LANSING, Mich. – For establishing a solid foundation to attract private investment and further build on municipality assets, the city of Bessemer has been awarded Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) certification, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced today.

The MEDC will formally present the award in recognition of the city’s new designation at a community event on Tuesday, October 9 starting at 6:30 pm in the Bessemer City Hall Auditorium.

Bessemer is the second city in the Upper Peninsula to be certified. Bessemer joins 27 other communities that have qualified as “thoroughly prepared” when it comes to planning and zoning along with other key features that remove traditional barriers and promote opportunities for prospective investors. Other certified RRC communities include Allegan, Alpena, Battle Creek, Boyne City, Dearborn, Eastpointe, Escanaba, Ferndale, Grand Haven, Grand Rapids, Grayling, Hudsonville, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Lathrup Village, Manistee, Marshall, Middleville, Muskegon, Oak Park, Petoskey, Pinckney, Roseville, Southfield, Traverse City and Ypsilanti.

“Our mission at MEDC is to empower communities so they can proactively shape their future; a future built on a solid foundation of retaining and attracting business investment and talent,” said MEDC Senior Vice President Katharine Czarnecki. “We’re pleased to have our second city in the U.P. reach certification and look forward to building upon our relationship with the city and supporting them in their local efforts.”

As an RRC participant, the City of Bessemer received a comprehensive assessment that measures current community and economic development practices compared to RRC best practice standards. Further, the program evaluates and certifies communities that integrate transparency, predictability, and efficiency into economic development practices.

Certification status provides a compelling sign that a community has removed development barriers and streamlined processes to be more competitive and attractive to investors. Bessemer is the smallest community to receive RRC certification.

“Thank you MEDC for certifying Bessemer as a Redevelopment Ready Community. This certification provides Bessemer with a tremendous opportunity to update and develop the downtown district,” said Mayor Adam Zak. “Being the second community in the U.P. to be Redevelopment Ready certified shows that Bessemer is committed to economic development and keeping its reputation as a wonderful place to live and raise a family.”

The city moved swiftly to complete certification requirements, completing all the recommend items from the report in five months. City Manager Charly Loper expressed gratitude to the many volunteers, staff and officials who played a vital role in reaching certification.

“The city and all our wonderful volunteers have been working diligently to shape our town to become more attractive to development by capitalizing on our many assets,” Loper said. “Thanks to this program, Bessemer was able to improve our processes and we are open for redevelopment.”