Community Development Programs

Community Development Programs

MEDC offers grants and loans to redevelop Michigan’s downtowns and foster historic preservation. By encouraging a compact mixture of uses and walkable urban fabric, we decrease the impact of sprawling development and efficiently utilize infrastructure. This development promotes environmentally and fiscally sustainable environments that attract talent and business and keep our youth here. Download our Community Development Guide to review our funding priorities and programs. View a statewide map of MEDC projects by region, county and legislative district.

Technical Assistance Programs

Michigan Main Street

Michigan Main Street (MMS) assists communities interested in revitalizing and preserving their traditional commercial district.

Redevelopment Ready Communities

The Redevelopment Ready Communities® (RRC) program is available to communities across the state. It’s a voluntary, no-cost certification program designed to promote effective redevelopment strategies through a set of best practices.

Incentive Programs

Michigan Community Revitalization Program

MCRP promotes community revitalization through the provision of grants, loans or other economic assistance for eligible projects located on properties that are either contaminated (facility), blighted, functionally obsolete or historic resources.

Community Development Block Grant

CDBG program funds are used to provide grants and loans to UGLGs, usually with populations under 50,000, in support of economic or community development projects.

Brownfield Tax Increment Financing Act

Through the Brownfield Redevelopment Financing Act, Brownfield Tax Increment Financing (TIF) allows applicable taxing jurisdictions to receive property taxes on the property at the current level and capture the incremental increase in tax revenue resulting from a redevelopment project.

Public Spaces Community Places

PSCP is a crowd-granting initiative provides matching grants for crowdfunded public space projects through Patronicity, an online, crowdfunding platform.

Transformational Brownfield Plans

The recently adopted Public Act 46 of 2017 incorporates TBP into the Brownfield Redevelopment Financing Act. This allows developers the opportunity to capture a portion of specific incremental taxes generated from large-scale projects for a specified time period.

Michigan Business Tax Credits

The MBT Program is no longer available for new awards, however, existing credits will be honored, and if applicable, an amendment will be considered if the credit time frame is within the 10 year statutory allowance.

Community Development Fact Sheets - Commercial

Business Improvement District / Principal Shopping

Through the provisions of Public Act 120 of 1961, cities, villages, and urban townships may create a Business Improvement District (BID) or a Principal Shopping District (PSD) to promote economic development within a defined area of the municipality.

Commercial Redevelopment Act

Public Act 255 of 1978, as amended, encourages the replacement, restoration and new construction of commercial property by abating the property taxes generated from new investment for a period up to 12 years.

Commercial Rehabilitation Act

Public Act 210 of 2005, as amended, encourages the rehabilitation of commercial property by abating the property taxes generated from new investment for a period up to 10 years.

Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act

The Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act (OPRA), Public Act 146 of 2000, provides for a tax incentive to encourage the redevelopment of obsolete buildings.

Opportunity Zone

Opportunity Zones are an outcome of the 2017 Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The program provides tax incentives for investment of patient capital into development projects and businesses in qualified low income census tracts that have experienced a lack of capital investment and business growth.

Personal Property Tax Relief in Distressed Communities

Public Act 328 of 1998 (PA 3280 allows distressed communities, county seats and certain border county communities to abate personal property taxes on new investments made by eligible businesses.

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Community Development Fact Sheets - Communities

Conditional Land Use Transfer

Public Act 425 of 1984, as amended, is the conditional land use transfer statute that allows two or more municipalities the option of conditionally transferring land to one another.

Core Communities

The incentives, unique to core communities, target critical needs of older communities through new housing development, redevelopment of obsolete facilities and development of contaminated properties.

Corridor Improvement Authority

The Corridor Improvement Authority (CIA), Public Act 57 of 2018, is designed to assist communities with funding improvements in commercial corridors outside of their main commercial or downtown areas.

Downtown Development Authority

The DDA provides for a variety of funding options including a tax increment financing mechanism, which can be used to fund public improvements in the downtown district and the ability to levy a limited millage to address administrative expenses.

Local Development Finance Authority

The Local Development Finance Authority (LDFA), Public Act 57 of 2018, allows eligible entities to establish area boundaries, create and implement a development plan, acquire and dispose of interests in real and personal property, issue bonds and use tax increment financing to fund public infrastructure improvements for eligible property.

Neighborhood Improvement Authority

Through the provisions of Public Act 57 or 2018, a Neighborhood Improvement Authority (NIA) may be established. An NIA may use its funds, including tax increment financing, to fund residential and economic growth in residential neighborhoods.

Redevelopment Liquor Licenses

Through the provisions of Public Act 501 of 2006, the Liquor Control Commission (LLC) may issue new public on-premises liquor licenses to local units of government.

Neighborhood Enterprise Zone

The Neighborhood Enterprise Zone (NEZ) Program was established by Public Act 147 of 1992, as amended. The program provides a tax incentive for the development and rehabilitation of residential housing.

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