Ishpeming now holds a Redevelopment Ready Community (RRC) certification from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), a designation that signals to developers the city has streamlined its planning and zoning processes.

City officials celebrated the milestone Thursday, Aug. 27, at the Ishpeming Senior Center, with Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist joining local leaders for the announcement, The Mining Journal reported.

"This certification is not the end of the story, but the beginning of a story," Ishpeming City Manager Randy Scholz said at the event. "It gives the city a strong framework for redevelopment, clearer expectations for developers and improves tools to support responsible investment in our community …"

Scholz added that the certification demonstrates Ishpeming is prepared to work closely with those looking to invest.

The RRC program is a state technical assistance initiative. Communities that participate receive advising on planning, zoning and economic development practices. To earn certification, a community undergoes a comprehensive assessment measuring its development practices against best-practice standards set by the MEDC.

As of February, 89 Michigan communities had earned the designation, according to MEDC records. Ishpeming is now among them.

The certification carries a practical benefit beyond the label. Certified communities become eligible to apply for the MEDC's Match on Main grant program, which provides reimbursement-based grants of up to $25,000 per project to small businesses. Ishpeming's Doozers bakery received a $25,000 Match on Main grant in 2024, matched with $25,000 of the business's own money, to renovate its downtown seating area, according to an MEDC success story profile. That project was completed in November 2025.

Diana Sundberg, West End Outreach and Services specialist for the Lake Superior Community Partnership, said the certification resulted from collaboration among city leadership, staff, the Ishpeming Downtown Development Authority (DDA), community partners, businesses and residents.

Kelly Milano of the Ishpeming DDA said the designation shows the community is serious about its future. She said residents are rallying behind the town with fresh interest, and that Ishpeming needs people who want to open businesses, shop and raise families there.

Nathalie Chimiko, CEO of the Lake Superior Community Partnership, called economic development "a team sport" and said strengthening Ishpeming benefits the whole West End, Marquette County and the state.

Gilchrist, who attended as part of a broader Upper Peninsula trip, said the certification declares to potential investors that Ishpeming is ready for business. He credited elected leaders, entrepreneurs and community members for the collaborative effort.

Certified communities also receive ongoing technical assistance from the MEDC's RRC team, which provides support as cities work to implement their development goals.