Oscoda Township recognized as a “Redevelopment Ready Community" by MEDC

What’s happening: Nestled on the banks of Lake Huron, where the Au Sable River empties into the Great Lake, is Oscoda Township. And while the warm weather months will no doubt provide a welcome jolt to the local economy, the Lake Huron community recently received a bit of good news that could attract a new wave of investment. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) announced earlier this month that Oscoda Township has been awarded the Redevelopment Ready Communities certification, becoming the 61st such Michigan community to do so.

What it means: To be certified as a Redevelopment Ready Community (RRC), Oscoda had to pass through an assessment of its community and economic development practices, demonstrating measures of efficiency, predictability, and transparency. To be certified as such shows that Oscoda “has removed development barriers and streamlined processes to be more competitive and attractive to investors,” according to the MEDC.

“The Charter Township of Oscoda is well-positioned to continue to implement its vision for the future and further improve the quality of life for its residents,” says MEDC Senior Vice President Michele Wildman. “We look forward to building upon our relationship with the Township and supporting local economic development efforts.”

Why it’s important: Now that Oscoda has been accepted into the program, the community has access to the RRC team and its resources, including technical assistance, match funding opportunities, and increased exposure to developers, signifying to investors that the community is a welcome place to do business.

What they’re saying: “We are very excited to be named a certified Redevelopment Ready Community,” says Township Supervisor Ann Richards. “Going through the certification process alone has made our community more ‘user friendly’ to do business in and we look forward to the resources that will be made available from MEDC now that the designation is complete.”