The Land of Desera

[planetechef]

Congratulations  well this event will deserve a huge update  don't worry, we will wait quietly the next one 

[rooker1]

 It's no surprise to me that you have done this well so quickly and this is the biggest reason why you and your MD have been choosen to be in OSITM, congrats my friend!   It's always fun to take some time out of my day to view how your city is growing.



Congrats from myself and The SC4D Staff!

Robin 

[CrossSide]

First! Congratulations!

[ecoba]

Congratulations, my friend. OSITM is such a great honour that you truly deserve to receive! 

Ethan 

[canyonjumper]

Congratulations Nedal! It's great to be sharing OSITM with you

                              Jordan

[Jmouse]

Congratulations, Nedal! I'm eager to see what you have in store for us this month!

Best of luck...
Joan

[planetechef]

From the end of your MD to the OSITM only one step  well, it's not really a surprise to see you here my friend, congrats 

[Tomas Neto]

Yeah..., congratulations, my friend!!! 

[nedalezz]

Thank you so much! OSITM is indeed a special honour, and given I just recently got engaged, its an added bonus! Thank you everyone, I hope I dont let you down! Not quite sure why the pictures turned out blurry, but will find a solution by next update.

The State of Nesara: Update Twenty-Three

Population: 17,331

Cedar Expanding Southwards


The road works that have taken place south of Cedar were completed recently, opening up an entirely new market for property investors and those looking to buy pieces of land for their own personal use. With the road access comes the issuances of new plots of land by the Nesara Council, with all sales to come directly from the council itself.

It has been no secret that Cedar has begun getting more and more cluttered, especially central Cedar, which was a big reason the council decided to build their new headquarters to the south on Intersection Street, which the council will begin expanding shortly.

Roads expanding southwards.

Chamber of Commerce Completed


Opposite the Council Building is the Nesara Chamber of Commerce, which opened its doors officially yesterday in a ceremony attended by most of Cedar's big businessmen and politicians. James Brooks, leader of the Nesara Council, gave a short speech, and it was business as usual after that.

The Chamber of Commerce first order of work was announcing the construction of a new Bank of Nesara branch; although the exact location was not given, it is assumed that it will be situated on the enclosed piece of land directly to the south of the Chamber of Commerce building.

The Chamber of Commerce.

Marble Residences Completed


Businessman Howard Sampson recently completed the construction of the Marble Residences building, situated on Hensworth Lane. Although the street is just across the train tracks from industrial development, it has proven popular with some of Cedar's wealthiest given its close proximity to both the industrial zone and business district. The council has also made sure there is plenty of greenery separating in from the train tracks and the factories on the other side.

Marketed as the most luxurious apartment building in Nesara, Sampson subcontracted Haiden Construction to develop the building for him, and including the land, the final estimated cost upon completion was $1.5 million. The facilities in the building live up that promise, with a built in sauna, rooftop swimming pool, state of the art gym, and a large common area fitting with a small bar and large screen TV.

Each floor features 4 apartments, and there is a total of 6 floors. The apartments are all similar in design and are identical in size, amounting to just over 250 sq. meters per apartment. With each square meter being sold for $1,000, which brings the selling price of each apartment to $250,000.

The Marble Residences.

Nesara Economic Report


The Chamber of Commerce has released the latest economic figures for Nesara, and the numbers have been encouraging. A stellar growth rate coupled with strong investment numbers have been the backbone of Nesara's continued economic success, the report stated, with further growth in the short term expected.

The manufacturing sector was the state's biggest earner, bringing in an estimated $65 million from export sales the past year, led by Korra Ceramics and Tolivert Food Processing, both of which sold an estimated $14 million each. The rest of the $37 million were split between the other 22 registered factories in Cedar. The report further stated that the manufacturing sector was estimated to top $80 million this year thanks to an increase in the number of factories that have opened up in northern Cedar.

The retail sector also performed well, despite a lack of anchor stores or large showrooms. Driven by strong local purchases in provisions and groceries, the retail sector sold an estimated $40 million. The recent law passed by the Nesara Council introducing a 5 percent sales tax had no bearing on sales, stipulated the report, and in fact strengthened the state coffers which have led more state-funded projects in and around Cedar.
Official figures had the GDP per person at $28,155, and the total GDP for Nesara at $423 million. The Bank of Nesara, with a savings account return of 4.5 percent interest  annually, was the state's most profitable operation because of Nesarans general liking to saving their income instead of spending.

The Bank of Nesara's estimated net profit for the last year was $17 million, of which $3 million has been put aside for the construction of a new, bigger branch in southern Cedar. The bank is completely state-owned, with no shareholders or private owners.

Finally, the report stated that following recent trends, construction and real estate will overcome retail as the 2nd largest sector by volume of dollars this coming year, and with the highest growth rate by sector, will become the largest in Nesara in the near future. Led by Davidson Contracting Company and Haiden Construction, the real estate sector also had the highest average profit margins.





Nesara Council Short Term Objectives


In light of the completion of the new Council Building and the expansion of the Nesara Council workforce, it has come up with a few objectives for the next few years that it intends to complete and accomplish.

1 - Development of the Cedar International Airport: With blueprints already having been drawn up, the Nesara Council has been busy considering companies for the contracts to develop the new airport. The location will be to the northwest of Cedar, and in a recent interview, James Brooks promised that development on the airport will begin very soon.

2 - Construction of New School: While Cedar State School continues to meet current demands, it is feeling the effects of a growing population and will not be able to keep class sizes at reasonable numbers for much longer. Its close proximity to central Cedar has also raised some traffic issues, and many residences have been calling for a new school in a more secluded, residential area of the city. The Nesara Council recently issued a tender for contractors believed to be for the development of a new school, and the release of their short term objectives confirmed that they were indeed planning the construction of a new school.

3 - Begin Exporting Natural Resources: The state of Nesara has little in the way of export if you exclude the commodities produced by the factories in north Cedar, but the council is looking to change that. Large deposits of gold and copper have been found in eastern Nesara, and although there are currently zero facilities to mine these minerals, the council has already issued the Nesara Natural Resources Commission (NNRC) with a budget capable of developing mines to help the state export them. Currently, the NNRC are studying locations in order to decide which will be the best place to build a copper and a gold mine.

4 - Expansion of Intersection Street: The road sees more local traffic than Country Road, and the Nesara Council has already begun repaving Intersection Street in hopes to ease traffic, and it will be just as wide as Country Road once completed. The main road connecting the industrial area of Cedar to the rest of the city, Intersection Street cuts through central Cedar before making its way down all the way south to the Council Building and the Chamber of Commerce.

Shots of Cedar.

[ecoba]

Wow! Beautiful pictures here, Nedal! Cedar certainly has grown a good bit. 

The luxury apartment look so very nice, even if they are near the train tracks . However, I certainly wouldn't mind living close to the railway line, have always liked noise!

The night shots at the end are absolutely wonderful! Show just how active our little city is!

Ethan

[Tomas Neto]

Wow..., fantastic update again my friend!!! 

[RickD]

I enjoyed looking at the pictures as much as I enjoyed reading the background information. Good work with the ploppable grass around the chamber of commerce.
At second glance I noticed that you seem to miss a dependency there, or are bright red and green cars the new trend in Nesara? 

Congrats on the OSITM! 

[marsh]

     Lots of growth going on in the town. It will be very interesting to see the airport, mines, new school and whatever else you have planned here.

Also, congrats on the engagment and also the OSITM! 

,marsh

[sumwonyuno]

A double congratulations and best wishes!   

[nedalezz]

To everyone who congratulated me on the OSITM and the engagement, thank you so much! Before I get into the update, just some quick replies to those who commented on the last update

sumwonyuno: Thank you from the bottom of my heart
marsh: Indeed, Cedar is almost at 20k now! The Nesara Council is slowly working to making these objectives happen.
RickD: Yeah, and I cant figure out what dependency is missing Anyway, Im glad you liked the story as well as the pictures, I enjoy writing it
Tomas Neto: Thank you very much for your continuous support and comments!
ecoba: It is a bustling little town full of activity! Maybe we can get you an apartment in the Marble Residences seeing how your house just refuses to grow!

The State of Nesara: Update Twenty-Four

Population: 18,434

The roadworks on Intersection Street have caused quite a few disgruntled residents in Cedar. What was an otherwise relatively traffic free stretch of asphalt as become a slow-moving work in progress, but the end result will be worth it, promises the Nesara Council.

"We have to anticipate the growth of Cedar and take steps to ensure we do not face problems later on," stated Bassem Safek, Director the Nesara Department of Transportation (NDT). "Yes, we do understand the inconvenience of detours and potential traffic, but this will pass, and the result will be worth it."

Some residents have criticized the timing of the expansion project, calling for the council to at least set up an alternative route before overtaking the project.

"Don't get me wrong, Cedar has some real picturesque neighborhoods, but what used to take me 10 minutes is now taking me 20, sometimes more. At the very least, they could've given us a real alternative route before starting this mess."

As the most important road in Cedar, connecting the south to the industrial north, Intersection Street is used by most of the city, especially during work days. The estimated time of completion has been slated for 2 months.

The new Intersection Street and central Cedar.

The new Cedar Power Plant is up and running and has been deemed a success by the Nesara Council. The first day of operations went off without a hitch, and after a few steady and problem free days, the attention turns to the old power plant.

The council has already stated it plans to dissemble and sell the parts, and just yesterday also announced it will take bids of the land the old power plant currently sits on. The council is asking for $100,000, and there are rumors several companies are preparing official bids on the land. It is located in the center of the industrial sector of northern Cedar, and its close proximity to the freight rail station makes it a hot commodity.

As for the new power plant, with brand new technology and low pollution, it figures to be able to keep the lights on for at least 200,000 to 300,000 residents, meaning the council will not have to worry about building a new facility for a while.

The new power plant complex and the old one.

Business in Focus: Trinity Properties

The latest major player in the Nesaran real estate market is also potentially the one that could overtake both Davidson Contracting and Haiden Construction as the biggest developer in the state. They certainly made a splash last year when they bought out 2 homes in central Cedar and subsequently turned them into their all-glass headquarters. The Trinity Building is currently the new showcase of central Cedar, located on Intersection Street to the south of the old Nesara Council Building. The all-glass building is in stark contrast the rest of the commercial buildings in Cedar with the exception of the Council Building, and Trinity Properties is not shying away from the attention it is getting it.

Their first project has been equally impressive; they are currently developing The Grand Hotel next to the Council Building and the Chamber of Commerce. The hotel will be owned and operated by the company itself, as it markets itself as the leader in Nesara for hospitality and commercial real estate. Although details about the Grand Hotel have not been released, rumor has it that Trinity Properties are aiming to make it the tallest building in Cedar when it is done.

The Trinity Properties building and the Grand Hotel construction site.

[Battlecat]

Congratulations on your OSTIM and your engagement!  You've certainly earned this recognition with your careful development. 

Glad to see your work is continuing to look great!  Your town is growing up rapidly now! 

[io_bg]

First of all, congratulations both on your engagement and on the OSITM award! It's well deserved!
As for the last update, Nesara is developing very nicely! Everything is realistic and I love the use of buildings and flora. Congratulations again!

[darraghf]

I have to commend you, nedalezz. Your MD is amazing. I read through it all last night, and I am falling in love with Cedar. I love the natural development that has taken place so far, and I hope it will continue into the future

[metarvo]

Congratulations on OSITM, Nedalezz!  Those construction shots look quite well done.  I also like your choice of power plant very much.  It's SG's, isn't it?  I use it regularly myself.  Keep up the good work!

[nedalezz]

Hey all! I just wanted to clarify a couple of things about my building style

I have made that there is only Matt325's residentials in my Plugins, but everything you see, residentially, is grown and not plopped.

Additionally, I have trying to imagine real life scenarios when envisioning the expansion of Cedar, and considering things that would be considered in real life. I am treating Cedar as such. For example, there would be no massive demolishment, or unrealistic expansion. It keeps in line with the story I am telling.

As for industrials, given that each factory is a specific company that wants to do business in Nesara, I plop a few of them, all though most are grown. The same applies for the commercial building.

Overall, there are bound to be some things I dont like (the location of the Marble Residences for example), but in keeping in life with the natural development of the city, I dont demolish and regrow anything unless I absolutely must. Instead, I try to work out a story around the new development.