Grand Rapids Reporter

City of Kentwood recently issued the following announcement.

The City of Kentwood has received the Redevelopment Ready Community certification from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation for its commitment to attracting new investors, businesses and residents through targeted and strategic planning and creating a vibrant community in partnership with residents.

The designation, recently announced by the MEDC, recognizes the City’s efforts in establishing a solid planning and economic development foundation to attract private investment and facilitate community-driven economic development projects in the community. It also means Kentwood is “thoroughly prepared” when it comes to removing traditional planning and zoning traditional barriers and transitioning into a streamlined process to promote opportunities for prospective investors. 

“The City of Kentwood is pleased to be a Redevelopment Ready Community, which demonstrates our commitment to being open – and eager – for business,” Mayor Stephen Kepley said. “We are proud to have aligned our policies and processes with Redevelopment Ready Community best practices and to have completed the program’s rigorous assessment.

“Our continued efforts to bring economic development, investment and job growth to Kentwood have received a significant boost from the MEDC through this certification, and we are very grateful.”

During the RRC assessment process, the City received a baseline evaluation of the existing planning and economic development processes compared to RRC best practices. These best practices were:

• Community plans and engagement
• Zoning
• Development review 
• Boards and commissions
• Economic development and marketing

Kentwood’s certification qualifies it for state community development incentives that encourage developers to invest in the city. This includes small business programs such as Match on Main that provides reimbursable grant funds for new or expanding place-based businesses. Certification also means Kentwood will receive support from the MEDC’s Redevelopment Services Team, which will partner with the City to evaluate development sites and produce customized marketing that will promote investment in key areas.

These key areas will include those identified in Kentwood’s 2020 master plan in need of redevelopment, such as:

• Division Avenue
• Eastern and 52nd Street
• Kalamazoo Avenue corridor 
• 28th Street and 29th Street commercial corridor 

“We look forward to working with the MEDC to carry out the master plan’s community-driven vision for growth, land use, development and open space conservation in Kentwood,” Community Development Director Terry Schweitzer said. “As a Redevelopment Ready Community, we can leverage critical tools and resources as we continue to work to attract and support investment and businesses and engage community members along the way.”

For more information about the City’s Redevelopment Ready Community certification, visit kentwood.us/RedevelopmentReady.

Original source can be found here.