ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – Escanaba has regained a state certification to improve local businesses and attract outside businesses to the area.
Escanaba has been recertified as a Redevelopment Ready Community through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).
“That basically says, ‘We are ready for development,'” explained City Manager Jim McNeil. “We’ve gone through our processes, especially related to public participation and zoning, so that developers know exactly what to expect when they come to a community like Escanaba.”
According to McNeil, the City was previously designated “Redevelopment Ready” years ago and had since fallen out of compliance with part of the certification. Despite the gap, he says the City continued to pursue and achieve economic growth.
“We have been really active, even without the certification, on reaching out to businesses and growing our network outside of Escanaba, trying to recruit businesses and industry here,” said McNeil.
Being certified once again opens the City up to even more resources that can help bring in those new businesses. The certification can also help existing businesses expand.
“A big one is the Redevelopment Services Team through MEDC,” McNeil said. “We’re going to look at specific sites in town that could be a candidate for some development. Also, it allows for businesses to apply for things like the Match on Main opportunity.”
For small communities like Escanaba, McNeil says the renewed certification and its benefits are invaluable.
“We need access to resources to try and recruit larger industry here—those are kind of our stable employers—but also being rural, small businesses often need a lot of help,” he said. “There are so many tools or actual funding towards building improvements that could be available.”
For more information on Redevelopment Ready Communities, visit miplace.org or call City Hall at (906) 786-9402 and ask for the City Manager.
