HB 3231 takes effect August 28, and the Department of Economic Development has 45 days to act on any city's innovation district master plan before it is automatically approved. The first filing therefore does two things at once: it starts a clock DED has never run before, and it establishes the practical detail standard for every application behind it. A first filer submitting a thin plan that auto-approves creates one precedent; a first filer submitting a comprehensive plan that DED reviews and conditions creates a very different one. Cities that are not first should be watching what the first city files and what DED does with it, because that exchange will be the only guidance available until rulemaking is complete, and the office-to-residential credit that most cities actually want is gated on that rulemaking regardless.

Watch: The identity and date of the first filing, whether DED acts within 45 days or lets the clock run, and any published DED application guidance.

Source: RSMo §620.6003, effective August 28, 2026; Missouri Department of Economic Development

Production note: Hold this slot open until the August 28 effective date. If a filing occurs before the issue closes, expand to a feature and demote another Right of Way platcard.