In less than two weeks time, it has been announced that the city has both earned a Redevelopment Ready Communities certification as well as having been named to the Michigan Main Street program. Each distinction serves to further development opportunities throughout Dearborn, from its main drag of Michigan Avenue and on out to the city limits.
On Thursday, Jan. 18, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced that Dearborn had been awarded the Redevelopment Ready Communities certification, something the city had been working toward for over two years. The city become the 16th community in the state to receive the certification, and the first to do so in Wayne County.
According to the MEDC website, becoming a Redevelopment Ready Community formally recognizes that Dearborn has both a vision for its future and a plan for how to get there. It demonstrates that the community is worthy of private investment.
"We’re proud to have earned the designation as a Redevelopment Ready Community," Dearborn Mayor, John B. O’Reilly, Jr. said in a statement. "This certification conveys a clear message that Dearborn has efficient and customer-friendly practices that make it possible for developers and businesses to succeed with their plans to invest in our city. Now, from the moment we are contacted by investors, they get the sense that we are here to help."
On Tuesday, Jan. 30, the MEDC also announced that Dearborn is one of six Michigan communities named to its Main Street Program. Dearborn is joined by Cheboygan, Dundee, Eaton Rapids, Kalkaska, and Flat Rock in the designation. The program helps communites become more development-friendly and more attractive as a destination.
These recent announcements complement
an already robust development news year for the city, with current projects that include Ford Motor Company's Wagner Place, streetscaping enhancements, a senior housing development, and more.
Got a development news story to share? Email MJ Galbraith here or send him a tweet @mikegalbraith.
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