Regional Permitting Collaborative (Chaired by St. Louis REALTORS®)

Posted by: Charlie Hinderliter on Tuesday, March 21, 2023

The words “exciting” and “permitting” are not often used together. That said, I am very excited about the new permitting and plan review portal that St. Louis County is launching, which is a massive win for St. Louis REALTORS®.

The Regional Permitting Collaborative is a coalition of business, industry, and economic development organizations formed over a decade ago with the goal of a one-stop shop for electronic permitting and plan review, something not easily done in our region. We knew the first critical piece was St. Louis County upgrading its electronic permitting system and implementing electronic plan submission and review.

Change is difficult. To do it right takes time, effort, and focus. We are thrilled that St. Louis County has brought online a variety of upgrades to its Accela permitting platform over the last 14 months, with the final, critical piece going live this past February.

These changes help improve communication between County departments. Not only does this improve communication, transparency, and predictability between the County and the construction community, but it also creates a better system that is easier and cheaper to navigate while maintaining rigorous health, safety, and welfare standards for buildings the County serves.

St. Louis County is making it easier for residents and businesses alike to construct new buildings and upgrade their existing homes and buildings. It is a win for economic development, making it easier to bring new jobs and new projects to St. Louis County.

We are grateful for the efforts of St. Louis County Executive Sam Page and his team for bringing this system online. We are also thankful for the support of the project from the St. Louis County Council.

The Permitting Collaborative looks forward to continuing to work with St. Louis County to hone its permitting system and to encourage other entities, such as utilities, municipalities, and fire districts, to use the County’s permitting portal as we seek to move towards a true one-stop shop for electronic permitting and plan review.

St. Louis REALTORS® was a founding member of the Regional Permitting Collaborative in 2012 and has led the effort since 2020.

Members of the Regional Permitting Collaborative:

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