mayorbk

Happy New Year from Oketockee, Florida! Locals and tourists of the city are enjoying a fun night of New Year's Eve festivities around Oketockee. With a temperature of 55 degrees and calm winds, many people will flock to the shores of Oketockee Harbor to watch the annual firework display. Many residents will celebrate on their boats and set anchor in the Oketockee Harbor, Butler Creek, and other waterways to view the annual firework display. In addition some of the gated communities have their own celebrations and smaller fireworks centered around the community marinas and clubhouses. Tourist Info Picture: One of the many firework displays from Oketockee in 2014. For those new to Oketockee, the best places to watch the fireworks are from the Bob's Landing are of the city and from the campus of Oketockee State College and University Beach. The Bob's Landing area of the city includes many popular night spots, restaurants, and hotels. The University Beach area is popular with families and is usually less rowdy than Bob's Landing. Many people bring blankets and lawn chairs and set them up in the soft sand of the beach or on the park-like campus of Oketockee State College. Picture: Bob's Landing ready to celebrate 2015. Picture: The University Beach neighborhood is a popular, family-friendly firework viewing spot. Transportation The Cove County Transit will be running CCT Rail and CCT Bus Rapid Transit routes on rush hour schedules until 3:00AM. CCT Water Taxis will also run on rush hour schedules but riders should expect route changes and minor delays due to the Cove County Sheriff's Department and US Coast Guard parameter around the firework barges as well as expanded no-wake zones. CCT recommends riders use the Zoo Station and Barracuda Blvd Station to access the Bob's Landing area. CCT will have extra security and staff on hand at the stations to assists riders and manage the large crowds expected. Public Safety Picture: Cove County Sheriff's Deprt. shut down the Harbor Causeway Bridge in preparations for the fireworks display. As already mentioned, The US Coast Guard has set a boating parameter around the fireworks barges. There is also an expanded no-wake zone covering much of Oketockee Harbor. The Coast Guard and Cove County Sheriff's Department have extra boats patrolling Oketockee's waterways. The Sheriff's Department and Oketockee Police Department has blocked Sunshine Street and Barracuda Ave west of Oketockee Hwy to vehicles in Bob's Landing. Beginning at 10:00 PM, The departments will also close the Harbor Causeway Bridge that carries FL Route 500 over the harbor. Hope everyone has a safe and happy 2015! Happy New Year!!! Also CJ note: I will have the expected update with the detailed tour of the city soon.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Oketockee, FL. No snow here and 65 degrees but the residents of Butler Creek Marine Club got in the holiday spirit by decorating palm trees and yachts. Picture: Houses and Yachts decorated in the Butler Creek Marine Club neighborhood. Also, thanks to all the moders, BATers, CJ followers, CJ creators and all those who make Simtropolis a wonderful place to showcase the fun and adventure of SC4!

Replies   jmsepe: Thanks, I like incorporate realistic locations and history into my regions to add to the context and realism. Please check out the continued history in the second post.   feeroz123: The Publix is one of SimGoober's amazing BATs, found here on the STEX.   Schulmanator & Mymyjp: I'll have to look into those MMP gators.  Thanks for the kind words.   JP Schriefer: Thanks, there will be more as the city/region continue to grow.

Preface Welcome to my newest CJ. Oketockee, This journal will follow the trials and tribulations, growth and development, city planning and politics, and adventures surrounding this fictional Floridian metropolis. Many may have seen my previous work, Renault, in the CJ forum section. As with that CJ, my style involves planning combined with organic growth. Early History of Oketockee The region was first settled in pre-European era by the Seminole Tribe. The region saw an influx of people in the late 1800s and farming and other industries such as fishing and logging became staples for the region. The area eventually became known as Dixie County, stretching from the Steinhatchee River on the Northwest and the Suwannee River on the Southeast. Picture: Barracuda Bob's Farm and Alligator Adventure. (circa 1935) In the early 1930s a circus promoter and owner of several road-side attractions in the Southeastern US, Barracuda Bob, came to the county in search of land to establish an Alligator wrestling nature attraction. Barracuda Bob traveled to the location of present day Oketockee and saw potential for the coastal swampland to become a vacation destination. Barracuda Bob cut a road from Cross City, Florida to his tract of land to draw tourists from the U.S. Route 19, which was constructed through the county in the late 1920s and early 1930. Travel by automobile was still limited in the era so Barracuda Bob's Alligator Adventure never became a vacation destination. Although he kept the attraction, he scaled down the grandiose plans and utilized much of his land for industrial uses (logging and farming). In 1936, Barracuda Bob vanished. Some say he became a meal for his pet Alligator; others say he ventured to Cuba and became a successful hotel owner; while others say he still lurks in the swamps around Oketockee. The land was auctioned off by Dixie County and David Amason, of New York City-based Amason Lumber purchased the land. Amason's company had already leased part of the property while Barracuda Bob owned it. Amason continued to use the land for logging and agriculture. He also worked with investors to build a railroad into the region, later named the Oketockee & Gainesville RR, the company hulled logs, pulpwood, and produce from the growing village. Amason's attention turned from industry to tourism when he found Barracuda Bob's plans for the vacation destination hidden in Barracuda Bob's old house. As the industries continued to boom, Amason sold and rented parcels to other businesses and private residences. With the extra money, Amason began dredging the swamps to build up useable land as well as beachfront property. As the logging industry recessed during the 1950s, he realized the long-term success of the land would be as a town. After becoming the first mayor, he put the name of the town to a vote and the residences chose Oketockee- Seminole Creek Langue for Magnolia. The town quickly grew in the post-war baby boom era; going from a population of 500 in 1950 to over 3,000 by 1965. Picture: Downtown Oketockee in the mid 1940s. Picture: The first big construction boom in the post-war era during the 1950s (circa 1953) Picture: Downtown Oketockee during the early 1970s (circa 1972) Barracuda Bob's vision of a tourist destination became a reality during the 1960s and 70s, well sort of, he did not envision the popularity of eco tourist (hippies) that traveled to Oketockee to enjoy the pristine beaches as well as unspoiled wildlife after residents opened doors to their houses to serve as bead-and-breakfasts. The group of residents soon created the Oketockee Tourism Bureau and named former mayor, David Amason, president. Fueled by dissention between the industry-focused Dixie County leaders and tourism-focused residents of Oketockee, the group led a campaign to break from the county. The vote was successful and much of the western areas of Dixie County became known as Cove County, after the Horseshoe Cove that defines the coastal outline of the region. Picture: The Amason House is now home to the Cove County Historical Society and Tourism Bureau offices. Teaser We'll continue with History Part 2, Modern Growth (1975-2001) soon. For now here is a teaser for that: Picture: One of the many Publix grocery stores located in the metro area. The Butler Creek Parkway location pictured.

History Part 2, Modern Growth (1975-2001) Oketockee continued to grow as more businesses moved to the town and by 1976 it was officially named a city with just over 23,000 year-round residents. Like many cities, the map changes in the late 1970s and into the 1980s when developer pushed neighborhoods outside of the immediate city footprint. The developers also changed the landscape using dredging and fill to raise new land from the swampy coastal marshes. The developers also dug boating channels for recreational uses. Several new planned communities were built during the decade, including Horseshoe Bay Yacht Club (1980), Butler Creek Marine Club (1982), Warm Cove Estates (1986), Plantation Harbor (1988), and Oketockee Sailing Club (1989). Picture: Downtown Oketockee circa 1976 Picture: Development such as the Butler Creek Business Park, anchored by Publix grocery, grew iwith the 1980s suburban sprawl. As the city sprawled outward, Cove County and the state of Florida began several large-scale transportation projects. First a Northwestern belt highway was constructed across the northern side of the city. The state then extended it east of Cove County and designated it FL Route 500. The county and state then constructed FL Route 351 along the eastern edge of Oketockee city limits. Picture: FL Route 500 (upper right and bottom left) connects with FL Route 351 (left and right) on the northeast side of the city. The addition of the highways provided more connectivity to the region and created another rapid growth period. Despite a recession in the early 1990s, by the middle of the decade, the city rebounded and construction of housing and commercial picked up again. By the close of the 20th century, the population of Oketockee ballooned to 45,000 year-round residents. Teaser On the next update, we'll go on a tour of 21st century Oketockee and detail the rapidly growing tropical city. Picture: Condos line Butler Creek near the Plantation Parkway Bridge.

Love the suburban feel to the city. Looks very nice, although I'll avoid the mall for the next few days. Happy Holidays to the residents of Saturnia and Walnutville.

City Flag of Renault Table of Contents Page 1 History and Overview Climate and Geography History Cont. Before and After pics Modern Renault Recent Satellite Photo Highways Public Transportation Sports Recreation Media Education Town Meeting- Metro Extension Plans Metro Extensions Finalized River Corridor Metro Map Mon. AM Ed. of the Renault Post Downtown Renault Renault Landing Tower Rock Hts. Arena District Station District Germantown Neighborhood Renault Stadium Project Stadium Project cont. Newpaper 8/22/08 Renault Post A Look At the Suburbs La Rue, IL Howardton, IL Grand Tower, IL A Look At the Suburbs (cont.) Shawnee, IL Sept 9th Renault Post Sept 12th Renault Post- Hurricane Ike Jan 21st Renault Post A Look At the Suburbs (cont.) Wittenberg, MO Renault College Hockey Classic Riverfront Development Project Riverfront Development Project (cont.) Renault Post coverage of severe weather outbreak A Look At the Suburbs (cont.) Altenburg, MO Renault Copperheads Baseball Update Renault Celebrates Earth Day 4/30/09 Renault Post: Swine Flu Teaser and Replies Interactive Update: Wittenberg Jct. Project Pics from Around Renault Renault 2010 Project (Gerler Ave. Constr.) New Wells Station Renault Enters 2014 Soccer Stadium Development CJ Background This is my second CJ, my first, The Republic of Cartier, was a successful growing metropolis but the fictional city lacked history. My second attempt will add a rich history to a fictional city based in a real location. Keeping the city fictional will allow creativity but placing it in a specific location will add realism. I've terraformed the land to closely resemble the area of Perry County MO that Renault is placed in. Also major roads in the area will roughly be in the real-world positions (although the growth of the city has caused some re-alignments). Renault will have interaction with voting on developments, expansions, city ordinances, etc. so feel free to participate. Hope you enjoy!! History of Renault, Missouri location of the original settlement The Region was first explored in the 1600s by the Joliet-Marquette expedition which traveled down the Mississippi River in 1673 to explore the river and area known as the Illinois Country. In 1719 John Law revitalized a struggling company and renamed it The Mississippi Company and hired Philip Francois Renault to explore the area of the present day states of Missouri and Illinois and develop mining settlements. The city was originally named Leadton after being founded by French explorers in 1719 lead by Renault. In 1769 the city was renamed after to reflect the founder. The city and the rest of the region was acquired by the United States from France under President Thomas Jefferson in 1803, as part of the Louisiana Purchase. The Mississippi River passes through a vast county of rolling hills and deep forests In the 1800s the city became key in the industrialization of the Mid West and United States the city became a key steamboat port for passengers and cargo. The location of the city along the West bank of the Mississippi River and in close proximity to the Saint Francois Mountains to the West became important in the mining and transportation of timber and minerals from the mountains to the river to be shipped across the US and the World. Steamboats (and later railroads) helped the city grow rapidly in the 1800s. During the Civil War the city became a key weapons manufacturing location. The late 1800s and early 1900s saw a massive increase in the city’s population due to immigrants. The city was a mixture of American, French, German, and British people as well as freed slaves and other ethnic groups. The many cultures that were part of the city can still be seen today in the food and neighborhoods. Today the city is a modern American city. Renault is a commercial and industrial center that still uses the railroads and river to ship products to the rest of the US and especially the neighboring metropolis of St. Louis and other close major cities such as Chicago and Memphis. Climate and Geography The Renault Metro area is located along the Mississippi River in Southeastern Missouri between St. Louis and Cape Girardeau. Most of the city is located on bluffs above the flood level on the West bank of the Mississippi River. Suburbs on the Missouri side are in an area of Southeast Missouri with rolling hills and forests. Eastern suburbs on the Illinois side of the river are located on a vast floodplain known as American Bottom. The cities and towns are protected by a number of levies and floodwalls. Extreme eastern suburbs are above the flood plain on rolling wooded hills. Renault is located in northern areas of the humid subtropical climate, the city has cool to mild winters and hot humid summers. Renault has an average high Temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit and an average low temperature of 50 degrees. The City receives average of 50 inches of rainfall. The metro area gets very little snowfall averaging only 8 inches per year. Thunderstorms are common, especially in spring and summer. Natural Disasters Floods The Renault metro area has had many floods over its history. The eastern suburbs are especially vulnerable due to the fact that they are located on a vast floodplain After major flooding in the early 1990s Missouri and Illinois officials across the metro area teamed up to strengthen flood protection. New and taller flood walls and levies lead to development in communities such as Shawnee, Grandtown, Howardton, etc. Although minor flooding does occur, major flooding hasn't occurred in nearly 20 years. Tornadoes The Renault metro area is located in tornado alley, however the city has not been directly hit by a tornado in recorded history. Most of the tornadoes to hit the metro area were weak but major tornadoes have occurred before, on December 18, 1957 a F4 struck the Northern suburbs and continued Northeast into Illinois as part of the Murphysboro Tornado Outbreak that killed 17 people in Missouri and Illinois. In May 1957 a F3 hit Alto Pass IL Southeast of Renault in 1967 and moved East through rural areas of Southern Illinois. The metro area has an extensive number of tornado sirens to warn citizen of approaching severe weather. The sirens are located every few miles and at mandatory locations near schools, fire and police stations, hospitals, parks, and government buildings. Most sirens have backup battery power from solar power so the sirens can continue operating during power outages the rest that don't are undergoing retrofits to add solar backups. the system is tested monthly along with tests at schools and government buildings. Private businesses and households are encouraged to practice procedures. Earthquakes The Renault metro area sits just Northwest of the New Madrid and Wabash Valley seismic zones. The two seismic zones are the most active seismic zones in the US outside of California. Major earthquakes occur on the fault on average every 200 years. In 1812 a major earthquake occurred near New Madrid, MO that altered the course of the Mississippi River. For that reason Renault has strict building codes for new buildings and bridges. Older structures are being retrofitted. The Earthquake of 1812 damaged many homes and building in Renault. Today, insurance and tax breaks are given to homeowners in the hopes that 80% of households will be earthquake ready within 50 years. Many experts believe that the region is due for a big quake; while politicians question the city's efforts, especially with older bridges and buildings in the metro area.

Love the Christmas lights and festive skyscrapers. The mall looks nice too, but In try to avoid malls this late into the holiday season.

Awesome city. Brings back some awesome memories.

Great work! The pics really captured the highway widening project's scope.

Looks like the little sims got an early start to winter break. Nice winterized pictures.

Renault Soccer Development (cont.) Renault FC Stadium (naming rights tbd) is nearing completion. The main structure of the stadium is complete, field turf installed, and parking lot paved. The majority of the work still needed is the interiors such as the club lounges and boxes. As part of the project, Rattlesnake Bluffs Dr. was extended to Bayou Blvd (just north of the stadium). Rattlesnake Bluff Transportation Center was also moved to the West side of the railroad tracks in closer proximity to the stadium. Park-like landscaping replaced the swampy land around the stadium as well as six additional fields for youth, high school and college tournaments. Sports editor of the Renault Post called the new facility, "The crown jewel of the Renault sporting community..." and exclaimed the importance for regional tourism, health and fitness, and quality of life. He went on to say, "the support from the Shawnee community and experts from Simtropolis Consulting Services helped make the stadium a reality." Pic: Renault FC Stadium sits behind Rattlesnake Bluffs Shopping Ctr and adacent to Carbondale Pike.)

Great to see another member return. Your hilly cities with a gritty, dated '60s-70s look to them gives this CJ a unique character. Keep up the wonderful work!

Great start. The region has a very natural feel, especially with the lack of grids in the cities and towns.

Excellent details! That sunny, pebble beach could become a popular tourist destination as the city grows.

Replies: Benedict: In Missouri many rural "farm to market" routes are designated with letters rather than numbers. Although with the recent growth and upgrades in my CJ, the road has been upgraded, for now, the lettered route still remains. Ceafus 88: Thanks for the reply. I've actually been converting many highways with the new RHW via the latest NAM so future updates will have less MHW. The MHW is narrow, tight and fits well in the older/dense areas of the region but the more suburban areas will have lots more RHW. Renault Soccer Development The Renault Soccer Inc. recently announced a new professional soccer team will call the Renault metro area home. Renault FC will initially begin play using local college stadiums until a soccer-specific stadium is constructed. Although the company wanted to build the facility downtown, high real estate values and limited space forced Renault Soccer Inc. to turn to the suburban areas. The city of Shawnee, IL has become the frontrunner for the project. The city has been working with the team and the Renault Sports and Tourism Commission to search for a suitable site. A spacious tract of land off Bayou Blvd. owned by the city is the likely target. The flat, swampy land is located on the north side of Shawnee, IL and north of Carbondale Pike. The land is also located near the Rattlesnake Bluffs Shopping Center, Rattlesnake Bluffs Transportation Center, and Interstate 224 via Carbondale Pike. The city council will vote on the project in an upcoming meeting but first invites concerned citizens to voice their opinions of the project. Although the land is not directly adjacent to residential property, a large number of residents live to the East of the shopping center and there are some concerns for traffic, noise, and crime associated with the stadium. Shawnee City Council seems to like the project; citing that it will increase tourism and business for the city; raise the reputation of the city; and help distinguish itself from Renault. Shawnee citizens (Simtropolis members) please discuss the pros and cons of constructing a 15,000-20,000 seat soccer stadium in suburban locale:

Missouri Route C Project (cont.) Another major construction project that was recently completed when Missouri Rt. C was rebuilt through the University Hills neighborhood. The previous alignment had drivers exit the freeway portion of the route on the southeast corner of Eastern Missouri State University then wind through the University Hills neighborhood on surface streets before exiting back on freeway infrastructure near Renault International Airport. Student ghetto east of EMSU's campus. Freeway portion of Rt. C ends on the edge of the picture. Over the years the university purchased many properties on its east edge and the area adjacent area was a student ghetto with a combination of university-owned and private rental properties for students. Following completion of two new dorms on the west side of campus, the university, city of Renault, and Missouri Department of Transportation began a project to extend Missouri Rt. C through the area on an elevated freeway while the university constructed a new state-of-the-art football stadium. New EMSU dorms hold over 8,000 residential students and eliminates the need for university-owned properties east of the main campus. New Route C and EMSU Stadium in place of the student ghetto. The new Route C freeway alignment bypasses congested surface streets and allows EMSU football fans easier access to the new EMSU stadium on game days. A new clover leaf interchange with Interstate 24 allows for easier regional travel for fans, students, and the public in the area. Missouri Route C now continues as a full expressway through most of the Renault city limits.

Very nice work so far, the central business district really stands out from the sprawl around it.

Replies: NMUSpidey and Benedict: Thank you! It's nice to be back after a few busy years at college, new computer, and finally found Renault files on an external drive. It's been a joy to build the region and the city journal over the years; I have lots of exciting plans now that the city is up and running again.

I'll definitely book my vacation to the Franzikoi District in the fall for a foliage tour.