The HD Anniversary Update
It's hard to believe it has already been a year since Holt District launched. HD launched on July 27 2012. At the time, it was a humble region of under 400 000 sims. And it looked to be the peaceful place, with not many changes underway. Of course, this changed in an instant. The region experienced a massive boom in its first year under the bright lights of being a city showcase. It saw the construction of several new highways under HDHIP (Holt District Highway Improvement Project) - the construction of its first LRT line which will eventually traverse the entire region, the introduction of BoldNewHD which introduced a plan to develop Holt District into a world-class metropolis, and a whole lot more. And the vision to have Holt District turn into a world-class metro area is coming true. Today it is home to more than 1.4 million sims - that's a jump of 263% since the launch date back last July. Nevermind that, it's an increase of over 1 million sims. And it's still growing.
The first year of Holt District has been awesome. Holt District was selected Developer Diary of the year at Simmania. It was OSITM at SC4Devotion in January. It won Meg's Smorgasboard Award during the 2012 Trixies. Holt District was nominated for the most categories of any CJ or BAT during the campaign. It amassed over 1200 replies and 50 000 views. And all of this because of you. Without you Holt District wouldn't be what it is today.
This update will take us back on the year that has been, and take a look into what happened to each municipality. Consider it your transition into "season 2" - launching soon. So... let's continue!
THE HD ANNIVERSARY UPDATE
Holt District changed a lot in its first year, growing almost 300% to just above 1.4 million sims from under 400 000. The 9 municipalities each saw stellar growth, with no municipality growing below 30%. Each faced numerous developments, monumental changes and challenges. We will now take a look at what happened in each of the 9 municipalities this past year.
Sherkston saw a lot of growth this past year. As the business hub and transport hub of the region (3 key highways meet in the city) the city was bound to feel the effect of a booming region. Coupled with the intensification zone legislation that opened greenfield to highrise development, Sherkston had all the makings of a major boom. The city managed to grow a whopping 227% this year. That is despite all the suburban sprawl going on around it. The city also saw its culture scene pick up with the restoration of Fort Sherkston being completed.
Manatee, meanwhile, also grew. Although it grew at the slowest pace of any municipality, at 36%, it underwent massive changes. The greenfields on the west end of town were opened to an ongoing condo construction project which will soon bump up the city's population. The city faced hardship when a tornado struck a huge path of destruction through the southern portion of the city, which is still recovering to this day. It was embroiled in scandal from the clean-up efforts of those citizens when the major insurance company, a developer and a corrupt politician tried to scam these citizens. Thankfully this sceme was uncovered before any damage was done. And the city is the first to get a line of the new HD LRT system. It has spurred redevelopment all along the route.
Dofino, the northern suburb to Sherkston, grappled with changes on a scale never-before scene in the town. Once a small, sleepy village Dofino has transformed into a sprawling live/work community. The city grew from a population of under 16 000 to now almost 150 000 - a change of 848%. Many lament the loss of the small community vibe, but others note it has strengthened business in the centre of all the charm, its downtown core. The EL-Rail line that runs to Dofino will soon be converted to LRT, and connect to a new line which will lead out to the ever-building Kuhan CBD.
Next we visit Norecount. Norecount started the year as a respectable town just south of Manatee. Serving mainly as a spill-over community to those looking to live in Manatee, it has re-invented itself. While most people who live in Norecount wish to live in Manatee, a growing number of people are moving to Norecount because of the area's new, large industrial park and easy access throughout the region, thanks to the Highway 40/Highway 23 interchange. The town is now served by the LRT line that runs through Manatee, and it is expected this line will soon be expanded. Rumour has it a massive planned community is in the works for the town... In the first year of HD Norecount grew from 17 673 sims to 92 870 - an increase of 425%.
Old Port started the year off on the wrong foot. It was in dire need of a change in political leadership - and it eventually got one. The town decayed due to a council that essentially prohibited any change. Expansion, redevelopment, you name it, they didn't allow it. This was all to avoid the errors of the council that came before. However, they took it too far. The town's restrictions were so strict, the DSBHD almost was forced to shut down its elementary school in the town because it couldn't perform urgent structural problems. Eventually this council was forced out, and a new one installed. Old Port has begun to recover, with a planned community being constructed. Plans are underway to redevelop its waterfront park. The elementary school has been fixed. Old Port saw growth of 294% this year, its population rising from 8121 to 32023.
Next we visit Midport. Midport was not rocked by any sort of major event or scandal, it just faced the desire of many to live on the coast. A massive condo building dominated the year that was. And after a tiny decline in population in the first census, its has been booming ever since. Plans for a new commercial district were unveiled, and along with several condo buildings under construction, a new mini business district is coming Midport's way. The coastal town saw its population rise from about 33000 to 86215 - an increase of 160%.
Of course we can't also forget Shorecoast. Shorecoast also felt the effect of the coastal condo boom. Several mega-structured were construction housing thousands of people between them. The city has not felt any particular effect of BoldNewHD - but the LRT system could soon find itself in Shorecoast connecting to Norecount, Manatee, Sherkston and beyond... Shorecoast grew from 71494 to 98748 - a population increase of 38%.
Next we move to Kuhan. Where to start... so much happened this past year in Kuhan. It's more like what DIDN'T happen. Kuhan saw itself no longer a tiny township. It was reincorporate into a town - going from the Township of Northwest Holt to The Town of Kuhan. It saw 2 new highways move into its boundaries. The last new EL-RAIL line was constructed, and will soon be converted to LRT. The BoldNewHD project opened the area up to massive residential developments. An amusement park opened its doors. Countless businesses opened their doors. The Kuhan CBD has started construciton. While it sits in the middle of nowhere now, it will soon find itself surrounded. A community that was once better known for flat grassy lands is now a major players in the housing and business boom going on in Holt District. And you know what's really scary? Its growth statistics. What's scarier? It wasn't the fastest growing municipality in Holt District this past year. Kuhan - the SECOND fastest growing municipality in Holt District, soared to new heights from a population of 3796 to a population 190 597. That's a jump of 4921%! And current estimates as of this post peg growth to possibly be even higher, now reaching 7000% YOY.
Now we visit our last municipality, also the fastest growing this past year: Flynn. Like Kuhan, Flynn started the year as a rural township. Then known as the Township of Saltfield, Flynn was reincorporated as a town as a result of the November 2012 referendum, like Kuhan. BoldNewHD unleashed growth to the area. Suburban developments began to rampantly spread through the municipality. New houses, new business appeared everywhere. When industry was permitted to be developed in the region, industrial parks began spreading and sprawling. The town is the centre for sprawl. Then, a site in Flynn was selected to house the new Holt District stadium. A massive development plan around the arena ensued, further fuelling the growth of the town. If you were to visit Flynn for the first time today in over a year, you would not recognize it. It was the fastest growing muncipality in the region this past year. Its numbers are impressive and scary all at once. Ready? Okay... Flynn's populations soared from 2462 to a booming 211 028 - a growth rate of 8421%!!! It leapfrogged its way from smalled to second largest municipality in terms of population.
And what better way than to show you the first and current region views displayed in Holt District's lifespan? I can't think of one. So here you go.
Region View, July 2012 [showcased in August]
Region View, June 2013 [current as of Q22013 census]
And have I mentioned it looks a whole heck of a lot different, even from this?
So I want to thank everyone who has supported Holt District in its first year. As you can see, a lot has happened in both the region and the showcase itself. I hope you will all continue to follow Holt District as it enters its second year. I have a lot planned, and assuming RL co-operates a lot to show! You will get a chance to learn more about the road ahead of Holt District in the first official update of "season 2". I once again want to thank all of you for continuing to support Holt District! It wouldn't have amassed over 50K views, 1200 comments without you. So thanks for making HD's first year so awesome!
Replies will be done on first season 2 update!
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