The Land of Desera

[rooker1]

Hey Nedal,
I missed the last two updates, I was on vacation.  The last updates were great again and I look forward to seeing the new housing.  I can easily assume that with new housing there will be a need for more industrial.
See you around my friend,
Robin 

[nedalezz]

The State of Nesara: Update Twenty-Eight

Population: 22,341

A Day in the Life of James Brooks

James Brooks sipped on his coffee, skimming through the US Today newspaper. He always thought it was a shame Nesara did not have a single newspaper in operation - the problem was the lack of interest from the private sector to establish one. There had been calls for the Nesara Council to begin its own, but he had quickly shot down that idea, opposing any state run newspaper, television or radio stations. He did not any government involvement in those sectors, thinking that any one of those could be used as propaganda machines. The Nesara Council will always be there to service the people, never control them.

Today was Brooks favorite day of the month; once a month, he would make rounds to all the sub department heads of the Nesara Council and get updates on all the projects each was responsible for. Recently, the Nesara Department of Transportation had begun operation of the Cedar International Airport, and they were hard at work finishing off the Washington Avenue. He was excited to meet with his good friend Bassem Safek to discuss the future projects in place, including Nesara Airlines. There was also the Chamber of Commerce, and their plans for the new Bank of Nesara building that he was interested in seeing. Overall, there was a lot to see and a lot to go over.

The sights and sounds as he stepped out of the house were completely different than the ones he used to see and hear a few years back when Cedar was established. Back then, Intersection Street was nothing more than a dirt road leading north, and behind his house on the corner of Intersection Street and Country Road, the first house ever built in Cedar, was lush forests filled with wildlife. The old Nesara Council building was across Country Road, so a walk that barely lasted a minute was all it took to get from home to the office. Traffic was non-existent, and all one could hear was the sounds of birds chirping the morning.

It was a very different scene nowadays. His house was still there, standing as a landmark of the city, having been the very first house constructed here, and the old Nesara Council building was also still in the same place, albeit closed up and not of use anymore. That, however, was where the similarities ended. The morning traffic on Country Road as people made their way to the commercial district of town was a lot heavier; Intersection Street, once a dirt road, was now a wide roadway that was filled with cars heading north to the industrial part of town. What was once forested areas all around his home was now an extension of central Cedar, completed surrounded by commercial buildings. Work was now also a 3 to 5 minute drive away as opposed to a short walk across the street. And James Brooks did not mind it one bit.

James Brooks' home during the early days of Cedar and now.

Development had far surpassed even the most optimistic estimates, and continued to surprise everyone. The idea that Nesara was built upon - no taxes, free markets, and little import/export laws - had proven to be a resounding success, and as more people knew about Nesara, more people moved to the state. It was all around, and as Brooks passed the Trinity Properties building to his left, he smiled, excited for the future.

The Council Building housed all of the departments of the Nesara Council except the Chamber of Commerce, which had its own across the street. Just recently completed, the Council Building, situated at the southern tip of Cedar on Intersection Street, was also the location of James Brooks' office. Today, however, he was going to make his rounds to the different departments.

On the road to the Council Building, and the Council Building itself.

First up was the Nesara Department of Transportation, where he met with its director, Bassem Safek. After a little small talk about the weekend, they got into the serious stuff. Safek outlined the current projects under works by the NDT:

Nesara Airlines:  With 3 Boeing 737-900s on order and an agreement with 4 airports already confirmed, things were going well for this particular project. Cedar International Airport was already being served by American Airlines and Delta, but Nesara Airlines was going to create a hub at the airport. Safek had outlined the airline to begin operation with a few months time, after the delivery of the 3 planes. Also, talks to serve a further 3 airports were also underway.

Washington Avenue: Safek confirmed that Washington Avenue was going to finish before schedule, with the final road works expected only a few months from now. Already connecting the CIA with Country Road, the continuation of the avenue was already being developed, and parts of the avenue already opened, including its connection with Intersection Street.

Public Transportation: With increasing attention being given the public transportation project, Safek showed the proposed locations of bus stops to Brooks. There would be a total of 6 to start with, served by 2 routes and 4 buses. Safek gave an estimate of 900 people using public transportation a day in the current state of Cedar, but the real gem was the 3rd route the NDT is proposing: a route that would serve a 7th bus station at the airport and the bus stop in central Cedar, with a state of the art bus leaving every half hour during the day, and every hour during the night.

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After finalizing his meeting with Safek, Brooks headed to meet with the Nesara Police and Fire Department head, Jonathan Deerfield. Much in the same way as Safek, Deerfield summarized what was currently going on at the NPFD:

Airport Security: Current construction was underway on the joint police and fire stations at the Cedar International Airport, and Deerfield was happy to point out that thus far, they were ahead of schedule. The total cost of the new stations was originally slated at $700,000, but since has been bumped up to $1.1 million thanks to some major upgrades within the station facility itself.

Crime:Deerfield also reported good news in terms of crime; mainly, there was very little of it in Cedar. A few minor drug busts here, some racketeering charges there, but almost nothing major. The biggest crime scene in the past few months was a domestic abuse charge that was still being investigated.

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Next was the Nesara Properties Authority, responsible for anything to do with land or real estate in the state. Its head was the newly instated Harry Roscomb, an energetic man in his mid 30s who used to work as an agent before moving to Cedar.

Properties alongside Washington Avenue: The main project the NPA was involved in was the release of plots alongside the new Washington Avenue. Although they had not officially began selling plots yet, they did make an exception and sold a land for $2.5 million to a businessman who was rumored to be looking into building a department store. While the price that was slapped on the square meter was surely going to scare away people looking to own and build private properties on the land, it was not scaring away people looking for commercial potential. Washington Avenue was going to be the center of Cedar in the near future, and everyone wanted to get in on it.

Expansion of Cedar: Since the NPA decided what land was going to be released for sale and when it would be, it was directly responsible for the expansion of Cedar. The latest batch of lands to be released for sale were in eastern Cedar, alongside Country Road, but also the north and south of it. All of it was going to go towards residential developments, although the NPA was trying to encourage commercial activity on the road.

Gateway Beach: The NPA was taking the steps necessary to officially incorporate Gateway Beach as a town, making it only the second registered settlement in Nesara after Cedar. Since the opening of the public beach there, almost 1,000 people moved to the shore and now called Gateway Beach home.

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Before heading over to the Chamber of Commerce, Brooks had one more meeting, with the Nesara Natural Resources Commission head, Samantha Hicks. Despite being the department with the smallest budget, the NRCC still had a lot of projects going on.

Exploration of the Eastern Mountains: Rumors of heavy gold and copper deposits in the Eastern Mountains were confirmed after a large exploration team identified their exact locations recently. Although no official project has been set aside by the council to mine these deposits, Hicks and the NRCC lobbied with Brooks to support the endeavor, promises large returns on investment for the council

Farming: The plains situated in the western and central part of Nesara were described as perfect for agriculture by Hicks. Although the council have not given any licenses for agricultural companies or farms, the NRCC has been constantly lobbying for that as well. Hicks again brought up the subject to Brooks, and asked him to consider opening up some of Nesara's plains for farming purposes.

Diamonds: Although unconfirmed, the NRCC recently discovered what they believe to be a diamond deposit on the banks of a small stream just west of Greenpeak Mountain in southeast Nesara. Hicks could not elaborate any further due to lack of information, but told Brooks they were planning a larger expedition to the area to confirm the reports.

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After the NRCC, Brooks took a short break and had some lunch at the cafeteria inside the Council Building. He had enjoyed his meetings, and was optimistic at all of the ideas and projects. It had been a tiring day, though, and he figured after his meeting with Jorge Martinez. head of the Chamber of Commerce, he would head over to the Grand Hotel for a few drinks at the bar. First, though, he had to head across the street to a building nearly as big as the Council Building itself.

Bank of Nesara: The Bank of Nesara had long outgrown its only branch on Country Road, and most of its administration was working out of the Chamber of Commerce. Brooks was unhappy with that, and was disappointed to hear Martinez tell him that construction was to be delayed another 3 months on the new Bank of Nesara branch on Washington Avenue. Martinez did assure him, however, that they would meet the deadline set to open the new branch still.

Nesara Investment Fund: Although they did not have a lot of spare money, the Chamber of Commerce introduced the Nesara Investment Fund officially to Brooks. The NIF was to serve as the council's investment company, where they would look to find investment opportunities all over the world. The rumored acquisition of the Grand Hotel was actually the NIF at work, trying to buy into the hospitality sector in Cedar. Currently, however, they did not have anything on their portfolio.

The future site of the Bank of Nesara, the empty plot on the right side of the picture.

It was late afternoon by the time Brooks was done with Martinez, and the weather was lovely. He decided to take a walk instead of driving to the Grand Hotel, enjoying the scenery of construction in the distance of Washington Avenue. It was going to change the way Cedar worked, he thought, and would give larger businesses more incentive to open up in the city. Across from where Cedar's first department store was being built was the site of the Bank of Nesara. Once those two building came up, Brooks had a feeling a whole lot more would follow suit. He arrived at the Grand Hotel, and proceeded to have himself a few drinks. The future was looking bright.

The Grand Hotel in the early evening.

[nedalezz]

Special Report

Nesara Investment Fund Invites Proposals For Investment Opportunities Abroad

After officially announcing the formation of the Nesara Investment Fund, Nesara Chamber of Commerce head Jorge Martinez has released a statement to all foreign dignitaries stating the NIF's intent to seek out investment opportunities outside of the state.

"We invite anyone, whether it is a government agency or a private company, to send us proposals for potential investment opportunities," stated Jorge Martinez. "We are also open to investing in any sector, whether it is real estate, hospitality, medicine, education, industry, commerce...it does not matter. All that we look for is a solid business plan which we can see potential in."

The NIF recently attempted to buy the Grand Hotel from Trinity Properties in Nesara, but the deal ultimately failed to go through. It is reported now that the NIF want to focus exclusively on projects and opportunities outside of Nesara for the foreseeable future.



(Basically, the NIF wants to invest in YOUR region! I think it might be a fun way to interact with other MDs, where the author can roleplay on my board, and I can roleplay on theirs, etc. So if anyone out there is interested, hit me with a post and we can talk details!)

[ecoba]

A lovely update here, my friend ! The text in your updates is so realistic, and very interesting, as well as the beautiful pictures.


Ethan 

[art128]

Excellent development once again, Nedal ! The grand hotel fits very well in this environment. Also fantastic storyline, as usual ! You definitely have some skills to mix a great story and some freakin' awesome pics! 

Take care,
-Arthur.

[Tomas Neto]

Wow, my friend... That's a fantastic work on this city!!! Awesome!!!   

[nedalezz]

The State of Nesara: Update Twenty-Nine

Nesara Airlines - Your Sky. Your World.

The inaugural flight of Nesara Airlines lifted off from the Cedar International Airport this morning at 8 AM, following a press conference attended by James Brooks, Bassem Safek, and other Nesara Council dignitaries. The Boeing 737-900 was fully booked, deeming the airlines' initial flight a resounding the sucess.

The airline will commence scheduled operation to 6 of the western United States biggest markets officially next week, with at least 1 daily flight to each location, with Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Francisco getting more than 7 flights a week. The Nesara Department of Transportation, which has been given the responsibility of handling the airline, last week announced that Carlos Zema was appointed Director of Nesara Airlines, working directly under the head of the NDT, Bassem Safek.  At the press conference, Zema discussed the airlines strategy for success.

"The Nesara Airlines was found to serve the people of Nesara, first and foremost, to make sure that their standard of living remains high and that they have easy access to the world. And while we no doubt will rely on our fastly growing state to support the airline, we will also market our hub in Cedar International Airport as a transit hub between our southern destination and northern destinations," stated Zema. "We will promote our airline through our exceptional onboard and ground service as well as our very competitive pricing. With the backing of the Nesara Council, we will have the resources and the means to implement our business strategies, and hope to be a primary factor behind the development of Cedar and Nesara for a long time to come."

Speaking further on the short term goals of the airline, Zema pointed out that the airline is working to make sure that all its destinations will be served at least twice a day from Cedar, and that transit passengers would have to wait no more than 3 hours to catch their connecting flight. Another aim of the airline was to begin construction of its own office building, situated on Washington Avenue. Not much is known about the blueprint of the building nor its location on Washington Avenue, but Zema did state that they will break ground on it within a few months.

Nesara Airlines will now be in direct competition with American Airlines and Delta, who both serve Cedar International Airport. American Airlines has a flight a day from Los Angeles, while Delta serves Cedar from Portland and Seattle. Its current employee base, including plane crews, ground units, and administration, is 184 people.

The Boeing 737-900 in operation by Nesara Airlines will utilize a state of the art entertainment system implemented by the airlines itself called the SkyHigh Entertainment System, or just SkyHigh. All 3 planes will feature 22'' LCD screens for the 12 business class seats, and 16'' LCD screens for each of the 165 economy class seats. SkyHigh will also be the name of the airlines' frequent flier membership club.

[Battlecat]

Can't believe I missed the last two updates!  Looks great!  Interesting to see where Cedar is locate!

[Tomas Neto]

Oh yeah... "Nesara Airlines - Your Sky. Your World."   
Very nice update again my friend!!!

[canyonjumper]

Awesome Nedal! The projects in Cedar are looking great! Nice work with the empty lots, it looks excellent!

                      Your friend,
                                     Jordan

[Jayster]

Very nice MD here, I love the natural growth of your city. Keep up the great work! 

_______________________________________________________________________________


1482 N. 58th Street
Bayview, Tepoto 00127
August 15, 2010

Nesara Council Offices
County Road
Cedar, Nesara

To whom it may concern:

Regarding your recent interest in the country of Tepoto, we are pleased to inform the Nesara Council that we are grateful for the potential support.

Considering the fact that Tepoto is at this time a very small country, we are currently able to provide everything we need. As the country grows and expands though, resources will soon become limited and the idea of a trade business will be brought back up.

Every member of Congress here has accepted your interests in the region and we are pleased to inform you that we have agreed to the proposal of your country's construction firm. We will be welcoming you with open hearts.

At this time however, we have no means of long-distance travel. We, the country, currently do not have a port nor an airport. Plans for these are on the table and waiting for the go-ahead. The country of Nesara will be the first to know about the openings of said projects.

Once again, we look forward to your country's presence in are humble lands. Anything you may need or want you may have.

Sincerely yours,

Congress of Tepoto

[nedalezz]

I will get to personal replies soon, promise! Just a bit busy right now Anyway, Ive had some time to play SC, and Washington Avenue is starting to develop Here is a teaser shot before the update!

[RickD]

I have to do some catching up on your updates. I had a look at the pictures which are awesome as usual. Couldn't read the text, though, this will have to wait until I have more time. 

[Battlecat]

Those are some shiny new buildings going up!  Looks great as always!

[nedalezz]

Replies

marsh: Well it might not be a skyscraper in the sky, but its a start! Read the update below to find out what I'm talking about
Battlecat: Thanks for all the great comments! 
Rick_D: Yeah I think I prefer the normal perspective, too. Although I'm sure I'll throw some random mirrored ones every once in a while! I hope you get around to reading and enjoying the story, too
Tomas Neto: Thank you for always reading and commenting
Schulmanator: Indeed construction is starting to boom in Cedar as the population grows!
buncheesy: Thank you for commenting!
sumwonyuno: Im glad you liked the my updates during my OSITM month! I tried hard to update as much as possible
danielcote: Thank you very much
Battlecat: Thank you for commenting and following the MD
rooker1:  You are not mistaken; the industrial sector is starting to see alot of interest from outside companies. Several of them have applied with the Nesara Council to open up factories in Cedar, and it is only a matter of time before they start developing!
ecoba: Im really happy to know you enjoy the story and the text I put together, because honestly, I believe it is what brings any MD to life! Thank you as always
art128: Hehe, well thank you I didnt think the first BAT I chose for the Grand Hotel fit well with Cedar, but I am happy with the 2nd BAT I chose.
canyonjumper: Thank you very much for commenting, Im glad you liked the updates
Jayster: Hopefully, the NIF will be able to open up a construction company in Tepoto and diplomatic relations between the state of Nesara and Tepoto will grow! Im glad you like my building style - like I said before, I dont know if there is a label, but I guess it is a combination of natural growth and some "special effects"

The State of Nesara: Mini-Update

With the development of Washington Avenue nearly complete, the corner of Intersection Street and the new avenue has become the center of development in Cedar. Today, we will have a look at the 4 new developments that have taken place.

(1) Bank of Nesara: The 14 storey Bank of Nesara building, designed and constructed by Davidson Contracting for the Chamber of Commerce, has become the centerpiece of Cedar, earning the distinction of being the tallest building in the entire state. A reflection of the quick rise of the state, the Bank of Nesara, which used to operate out of a small 3 storey building on Country Road near central Cedar, has moved all of its administration to the new building from its old location and the Chamber of Commerce building. The ground floor and the 2 floors above it serve as the main branch of the bank, while the administration occupy the other 11 floors. The building cost an estimated $13 million upon completion, surely a small price to pay for a bank that continues to grow very quickly.

(2) Haiden Building: The Haiden Building was developed by Haiden Construction, one of the 3 big construction companies in Nesara, to serve as their HQ and base of operations. They were also able to sign a deal with Nesara Airlines, who will also have their base of operations working out of the building. The 9 storey building will be split into 3 parts: the Ground Floor, which will feature the Nesara Airlines branch for customers, and also the Haiden Construction retail office. The top 3 floors are the Nesara Airlines offices, and the 6 floors underneath them have been taken by Haiden as their offices. The total cost of the building was an estimated $5.5 million, and although the design seems basic from the outside, it has been made to maximize space on the inside.

(3)The Home Depot Superstore (Not to be confused with RL Home Depot): Owned by the newly registered MasterStore Corporation, the Home Depot is Cedar's first superstore. Although local mom and pop stores situated in central Cedar protested the opening of the superstore in southern Cedar, it has proven to be a resounding success. Daily sales do not go below $100,000, and with Cedar continuing to grow at a rapid pace, so will the sales of the store. The MasterStore Corporation owns Home Depot 100%, and are rumored to be looking for office space as they plan on opening quite a variety of retail stores in Cedar and Nesara.

(4) Korra Ceramics Showroom: It finally happened; after years of planning, Kimberley Korra finally took a piece of land next to the Bank of Nesara, developed it, and opened the first Korra Ceramics retail branch in Cedar. The showroom displays all the Korra products, including the products from the newly opened tiles factory in northern Cedar. Korra Ceramics' administration offices have also moved to the building, situated on the 3rd floor. Although the showroom has yet to officially open, predictions estimate that the company will sell atleast $20,000 average in retail sales from the new showroom.

[rooker1]

Hey Nadel,
Not only do you always show very nice pictures, but you also have a great imagination when it comes to giving facts about your city.
I love it as always!
Robin 

[Jayster]

Nice small update.   

As far as our "letters" back and forth (letters is in quotes because of my laugh at a business letter) I have started an airport and if there is a certain building you would like me to get specifically for your country's construction firm, just drop me a link and I'll download it  However, the only large city right now is Dead Man's Point and that is where the current capital of the region is right now until Bayview is created, but Dead Man's Point has a lot of open office area.

Just let me know what you decide. 

Jayster

[kodlovag]

This is the first time I'm watching your MD. I read back several pages. I really like the way how you build your suburban areas. I will come back to see more.

[art128]

Fantastic job on this new update Nedal. Washington avenue is for sure a nice and promising office depot area ! I like it very much.

Official - Message of the Svanskinahya Foreign works :

The government of Svanskinahya is proud to announce that the constructions works of the Nesera Council embassy has started also as the works for the 5n star hotel which will be soon revealed to public with some nice drawing of our best architect.

Some assist will be very welcomed here as the development is a bit on hold.

See you soon !

-Arthur.

[canyonjumper]

Awesome job with Washington Avenue Nedal! Cedar's really growing up

              Your friend,
                             Jordan