Renault, Missouri

[mayorbk 66]

Welcome to Page 2!!
Thank you for all the great comments and for participating in Last night's Town Meeting!

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

"What about option c?"

"There is no option c."

"Oh, there's always an option c."

Well, apparently there isn't, and thus I will also vote for A! Very nice work so far on your cj. Keep working on it!

[mayorbk 66]

The Mayor and City Council thank members of Metro and member of the public who voiced opinions. After reviewing the options the city government has chosen Option A as the new River Corridor alignment. The new line would also follow Union Ave. past the future location of the Sports Arena and provide fans easy transportation to the arena and surrounding commercial development to be know as the Arena District.
Construction on the line will begin near the Arena District on Union Ave. and in the Bluffs Industrial Park and work towards eachother and meet in the middle. The line between Bluffs Industrial Park and the Arena District should be completed in 7 months.

As Part of the construction, Union Ave. will be extended North along the Metro line to connect to Union Rd. in Witt Bluffs. Residents of the Area ajcent to Union Ave in Tower Rock Heights should prepare for major delays between Central Ave. and the St. Louis Parkway interchange.


Now that construction is beginning Metro Maps for the River Corridor can already be found on the existing stations of Central Station, Station St., Courthouse, and Westmont Blvd.

[Mayorm 14]

Hey nice pics, I love your cj.

[mayorbk 66]

CJ note: Lots of new info and pictures under the section called "Modern Renault" on pg 1.
Replies
to all: Thanks for voicing your opinions at the town meeting,The Renault Post will have future city planning event dates that are open to the public.
GreekMan: thank you, comeback soon I'll have plenty of updates (many interactive) to keep things interesting.
dfnva: thanks, I'm really working on making everything accurate, even though Renault isn't real I want to make the city plausable and be able to fit into real life. 
I've also updated the highway map to reflect some growth, and you may also enjoy the satellite photo on pg 1 I recently created.
Trainmaster423: Reaching the high tech industrial park was a big plus of option A
lucky7: After reviewing the facts it would have taken much more time and money to blast subway through the rocky river bluffs. Although there is some talk to extend subway lines may directly to that area of the city in the future .
politicman: Thank you, Renault is has experienced a rapid development and boom recently the future looks bright for the city.
simcityplyr100: New riders were a big plus in the consideration of the two options.
NMUSpidey: There is an option C kinda, Metro has expressed interest in a Northeast Line in the future pending future growth of NE suburbs.
Mayorm: Thank you

[mayorbk 66]

River Corridor Line Open for Service
The River Corridor line is 90% complete at trains will be put into service for the next morning rush hour except for the Witt Creek Dr. Station, which still not complete yet. In addition commuters should expect 5 min delays along the line near the Witt Creek Dr. Station.

 The construction took 9 months (2 more than expected) but was on budget. Along the line many new condos and apartments are being constructed and the population growth in the suburbs of Witt Bluffs and Tower Rock Heights is expected to double over the next year. 
picture: The River Corridor Line passing new high-rise condos to the right and Bluffs Hospital to the Left


 

[mayorbk 66]

Lots of recent news in the Renault Metro, of the many events going on in Renault the opening of the new Metro line is one of the most popular events. Renault's MetroRail is one of the most efficient of mid-sized cities in North America. Cutbacks of Federal Transportation Administration funds over the past few years have hurt many other cities rapid transit networks but the RRTA, who operates MetroRail, pay most expenses of expansion with funds from parking garages and tolls. Money from fares goes to maintenance of the network.

The weather has also been a big news story over the summer. The city has recorded the rainiest summer on record and the river as spilled over a few times so far. Now Renault, along with much of the Mid-West is smothered in a heat wave. 

The following is a copy of page 2 of the Monday morning Renault Post. 

[jacqulina 162]

very nice work so far my friend,looking good

[lucky7 73]

Great booming neighborhood and nice newspaper article. I am looking forward to your future plans,

lucky7

[GreekMan 246]

ohh yeah I will be back for more

I really like this CJ

[mayorbk 66]

thank you for all the comments!

[mayorbk 66]

Downtown Renault

Map of downtown Renault and some of the closest suburbs.

Now we'll take a closer look at downtown Renault and a few key areas and neighborhoods in the city.

Renault Landing, also known as The Landing District, is a mix of old and new buildings. The district is a popular spot with young people, as many bars, restaurants and nightclubs are located in the district. Many of the older buildings date back to the early 1900s. Harrah's City Centre Casino is located on the riverfront portion of Renault landing ajacent to the blocks of historic buildings.

picture: the block between Lewis Street and Clark Ave. have many historic buildings, cobblestone sidewalks and popular entertainment spots.

The Renault Landing District encompasses an area from I-24 north to Grand Tower Bridge. The district is about 5 blocks long along the river and a block wide.

Central Renault is home to many of the city's tallest office buildings that house well known regional and national corporations such as The Renault Post, AT&T, Schnuck's, Renault Trust Bank, and Charter Communications. Many of the high rises have great views of Philip Francois Renault Park, a popular attraction for visitors and locals located in the middle of downtown. Government Plaza is located just east of the park. Renault's courthouse, government offices, RPD's central precinct and detention center are all located here.

picture: Government Center in Central Renault.

Tower Rock Heights is located North from Renault Landing along the River is. Many high-rise condos are located long Tower Rock Creek. Tall Office buildings to the south offer great views of the metro area. At&t has the tallest office building in Renault, although more are planned in the near future. Renault's Stock Exchange is small in comparison to Chicago or New York but still has many important financial decisions during the weekdays.

The Arena District is one of the new parts of Renault. Many new office buildings look down on the brand new Schnuck's Center. Home to Renault's arena football team and future hockey team. The district is also becoming a popular entertainment spot due to many new nightclubs and sports bars. The Arena District is Served by MetroRail's new River Corridor Line.

Union Station is at the Heart of the Station District. is located in the blocks South of I-24. Much of the area used to be extensive railyards and stockyards but now has many small offices and businesses, as well as a few blocks of low income housing. South of union station is a vast but slowly shrinking industrial area known as Southside Industrial. Union Station District is a work in progress, with some new buildings and many older and rundown buildings. The Station District has been a focus for many local politicians, it has the highest crime rate of downtown Renault, although there has been a decrease since RPD stepped up patrols in the neighborhood.

picture: Renault Union Station on a busy afternoon.

 

Germantown is named for the many German immigrants that came to the region in the early 1900s. The neighborhood is known for many older condos and residential buildings overlooking Renault Central Park. Germantown has a number of political issues, parking is a major problem in the neighborhood but residents have voted down public parking facilities a number of times. Germantown is also the highest residential population of the downtown neighborhoods without a major MetroRail line. Residents are split 50-50 when votes to extend Metro to the neighborhood. Many argue it is needed for easy commutes and traffic congestion, while other vote against due to the disruption from construction and increased crime.

that's the quick tour of growing downtown Renault. More later!

[jacqulina 162]

wonderfull downtown excellent planning and detail.wonderfull work and pics my friend.

[Mayorm 14]

I love the downtown pics but i thought  your city was french and you have a german section?

[dfnva 34]

Looks nice, I think my favorite area is the Renault Landing. The W2W buildings create an aura of an eclectic area like one would find in portions of RL cities. Georgetown in DC and the Shockhoe Bottom in Richmond, VA come to mind as analogous areas.

-Dan

[rusty_777 0]

Your downtown is great I love the greenways you have built.

Cheers.

[supercity124 8]

WOW!!!!, Nice city, Can you make this city a neighbor of Virgin Shores??, I am sure you will get oil from Virgin Shores to your city, Renault, Missouri, and look for oil in your city.

[marco1771 0]

nice downtown parks looks awsome!! keep up the great work!!!

[Twenty20 28]

Excellent job, your downtown looks very realistic !

[mayorbk 66]

Replies!

jacqulina: Thanks, planning was key to make the downtown as real as it could be. Also I should have more pics and updates Tuesday or Wednesday.

Mayorm: The city was founded by french explorers but has many other ethnic groups that have immigrated to the region over history. The region saw a major influx of german immigrants in the early 1900s.

dfnva: Yeah, with the cities rich history it needed an area with preserved historic buildings like many american cities have. Like other cities Renault Landing is a popular location for young people, with many restaurants and nightclubs.

rusty_777: Thanks, The greenways are great places for residents of the city to relax or walk dogs and also provide working sims with a relaxing place for lunch on nice days. The greenways also help with the air quality.

supercity124: Renault is located along the Mississippi River and has a number of major railroads, the city council and mayor can review the proposal and it wouldn't be too hard to ship oil from Virginia Shores into the city either on river or rail.

marco1771: I love placing parks around my downtown. It breaks up the urban jungle and helps with air quality in the dense portions of the city.

Twenty20: Thanks, Although the city is fictional, I'm working hard to keep everything as realistic as I can.

[mayorbk 66]

Renault Stadium Project
Renault's growth has made it the third largest city in Missouri. With over 1 million people, the Metro Area has also made the top 50 largest metro areas in the US. With all the growth the city is looking for more professional sports. The city has a brand new 17,000-seat indoor arena for ice hockey and indoor football, and Renault is looking to build a baseball stadium. 

The city is looking at three sites for the location of the new baseball stadium. 
Location #1

Location#1 is located on the Renault Landing ajacent to the Casino in downtown Renault. The project in this location would include demolishing existing buildings and reworking local streets, then adding new bus and subway stations. Stadium outfield will be riverside with homeplate on the city side. in the land sale deal, the existing casino may be rebuilt on the IL side of the River, lowing crime but also reducing the immediate economic impact to Missouri.
Pros                                                         
Central location in the downtown business district
Close to existing hotels and businesses and tourist attractions
Close to rail station/Amtrak,MetroRail Blue Line, and MetroBus routes.
Casino may be moved to Eastside, lowering crime.
Cons
Displacement of some businesses
Reduced income from gambling.
Traffic problems due to street and subway work
Lack of direct acess to interstate. 

Location #2

 

Location#2 is located just south of the Central business district and Interstate 24 along St. Louis Ave. in the Southside Industrial Park. The location of the stadium would be built along the river on the site of the old Peabody Steel Mill. Peabody Industries has closed 80% of the plant and moved it to a new location further down river, they are offering a good price for the land but it may require more work before stadium constructing due to industrial chemicals. 
Pros
Turns NIMBY into desireable property
Located along MetroRail Blue Line, close to Amtrak Station, and MetroBus routes.
Easy access to I-24
Reduces pollution to immediate area around stadium location.
Cons
Alot of work to the site.
expensive demolitions of industrial structures
Traffic conjestion from realignment of a major avenue
Landfill needed along swampy land along river

Location # 3

Location # 3 is located on the east side of the river in Grand Tower IL. The site is an existing farm that the owner is willing to sell. The Location is favored by local IL government officials because it will hopefully energize a largely industrial and low income region of Grand Tower. Although the site would require the least demolition and pre-construction work and the least surrounding roadwork, Missouri officials and Renault's Mayor don't like the location in IL. 
Pros
Ready to build with few demolition or pre-construction costs
No major Roadwork, only addition of two more lanes of existing road.
Located ajacent to MetroRail East-West Line and bus routes
Close to I-24
Views of Renault Skyline
Cons
Located in a low income, high crime, and highly industrial neighborhood.
Not Located in Renault's city limits.
Far from tourist attractions, hotels and businesses.
Less economic impact to Renault businesses. 

Please vote on the Location of the Stadium. Any opinions of the locations and additional pros and cons are welcome!
 

[GreekMan 246]

location 1

[dfnva 34]

I would say Location 2 because if you build downtown, you'll exponentially increase traffic problems if you build in Location 1, and if you build in Location 3, it's too far from downtown. Also, it would be a boom to this industrial area (sort of like they did building the Washington Nationals stadium in DC near the Anacostia River) making it nicer.

-Dan

[Mayorm 14]

I will vote Location 2, it cuts pollution and gives oppurtunity to expand downtown, and you could move industries that are replaced by the stadium to the eastern side of the river.

[knarfmo 0]

Fellow Missourian here, and I'm enjoying your CJ. It vaguely reminds me of.... St. Louis!

Renault Landing - you have nailed the alternate universe Laclede's Landing there.

[mayorbk 66]

Renault Stadium Project cont.
Thanks for all the comments! 

The location of the new baseball stadium was chosen and work on the site in on-going. The old intersection of Southside Ave. and St. Louis Blvd. has been demolished as well as all buildings of the old Peabody Steel Mill. Crews are now busy grading the site and placing utility lines in. After being regraded construction of the new St. Louis Blvd. alignment through the area will begin soon.
picture: location of new stadium.


Newspaper- 8/22/08 Renault Post 

[Mayorm 14]

Wow, looks good, can't wait to see your stadium and what you do with the surrounding area. Keep it up Mayorbk.

[fabsies55 5]

looks pretty good.

it recomend working on your city and make it bigger and possibly get more STEX buildings.

but looks good.

[mayorbk 66]

Comments
Thanks to all who voting and providing insite on the new Stadium location!

knarfmo: Thanks, I've drawn inspiration from St. Louis, Chicago and a number of other Midwestern cities to help add realism to Renault! I actually wasn't sure how Renault Landing would turn out but it adds another element of realism and gives the downtown a historical atmosphere.
Mayorm: Thank you! Along with the stadium construction, there will be some re-zoning in the area. 
fabsies55: I'm trying to keep Renault realistic/prototypical. The city is growing at a slow steady rate, the large buildings won't pop in overnight... Keep checking back as the city grows the skyline will change.

[mayorbk 66]

A Look at the SuburbsIllinois Suburbs

The tour of the suburbs will first look at the major Illinois suburbs then the major Missouri suburbs. Some of the Major Illinois suburbs we'll look at are Grand Tower, Howardton, La Rue and Shawnee. The Map below shows their location in the metro area and the location of downtown Renault.

La Rue, IL

Demographics according to US Census

8,000 residents

91% White

6% Asian

2% African American

Median Income $70,500

80% of the residents over age 18 have a college education.

picture: one of the shopping centers located along IL Rt. 3

 

La Rue is located Southwest of Downtown Renault. It is one of two green communities in the metro area, with all of the city's power coming from renewable resources. The city is located on the vast flood plain of the Mississippi River. La Rue is protected from flooding with a network of flood walls and levies. La Rue's low pollution and large amount of green space has created one of the lowest pollution levels of any city in the Renault Metro. The Northwest portion of La Rue is part of the Tower Island Wildlife Preserve. 

La Rue is also one of the wealthiest suburbs, although it is of small size the city has 5 large gated communities, many of the other neighborhoods are a mix of middle and upper class. La Rue's public school system is one of the top schools in Illinois. The City has two elementary schools and one high school. La Rue Academy is private K-12 school located near La Rue Town Center. A Branch of Renault-Jackson Community College is also located in La Rue.

 

picture: one of the neighborhood of La Rue.

Downtown La Rue is located just off IL Rt. 3. the downtown is home to many boutiques, cafes, and restaurants. Just Northeast of La Rue Square is the La Rue Transportation Center. The Transportation Center is the Eastern Terminus of the Orange Metro Line and an Amtrak station. The Renault Beltway, I-255 lies on the Southern border of the city. although many people use IL Rt 3 to go Northwest into Grand Tower, IL and Renault, MO. 

 picture: downtown La Rue and the La Rue Transportation Center

Howardton, IL

Demographics according to US Census

35,000 residents

65% White

15% African American

8% Latino/Hispanic

3% Asian 

9% Other Races

Median Income $40,000

Howardton is located Northeast of Renault. It is one of the densest suburbs of Renault in Illinois. Downtown Howardton is a mixture of shopping, offices, and other businesses. the city also has a thriving industrial area. The city has a large middle class core. Many residents live in high rise condos or apartments. Single family houses are located to the North and East of downtown Howardton. 

 

picture: Central Howardton neighborhood. The Renault Beltway, I-255 can also be seen in the pic.

Howardton is a major transportation center for the Northeast side of the Renault Metro Area. Many rail line converge just north of downtown and the Howardton Amtrak Station to cross the into Missouri while others follow the east bank of the Mississippi River into the vast industrial areas and the Port of Renault. I-255 runs Southeast-Northwest through the Northern side of the city. The junction of I-255 and The Northeast Tollway lies in the extreme Eastern portion of Howardton.

 Howardton has a two high schools and a number of elementary schools. A Branch of  Renault-Jackson Community College is also located in Howardton.

picture: Howardton Amtrak Station and part of downtown.

Grand Tower, Illinois

Demographics according to US Census

50,000 residents

40% White

40% African American

15% Latino/Hispanic

5% Other Races

Median Income $25,650

Grand Tower is located on the East bank of the Mississippi River. The City borders Renault on it's West side. Grand Tower is a major industrial center for the Metro Area. The Port of Renault and many large industries are located within the city.

picture: A CSX local southbound passes a MetroRail and Amtrak station in Grand Tower.

 Along with being an industrial center, Grand Tower is an important part of the transportation in the Renault metro. Many railroads connect and cross the River into Renault. Other branch lines serve industries and the port. I-24 Runs East-West through the city and IL-Rt 3 runs North-South and is a major avenue through the Eastern Suburbs. The Alto Pass Tollway Connects to I-24 in Grand Tower, The AP Tollway  runs Southeast into the Southern suburbs. 

Grand Tower is home to 50,000 residents. Most are working class citizens, the median income is $25,650. The city has some of the lowest school ratings in the metro area. Grand Tower is notorious for its high crime rates but there has been a drop in crime with urban renewl projects and the expansion of MetroLink. Most of the wealthy residents live in extreme southeast portions of the city along the border between Grand Tower and La Rue. 

picture: projects located in Grand Tower.

*More Suburbs coming soon!