Google Earth, Near Downtown Houston

Found on Google Earth: in downtown Houston, we spotted 3D models of a Fiesta grocery store, a Payless ShoeSource (standalone), and the downtown Houston Sears department store. Good thing the three of them were all on the "short list" (really about three front-and-back pages) to be BATted. We'll be downloading these in SU and modifying them so they aren't blocky textured polygons.

Building Maker, Huh?

This looks intriguing and definitely worth a revisit. It might help me model the more complicated buildings, and I'll then I'll try porting buildings to SimCity 4. How does that sound?

EDIT/UPDATE: Turns out that Building Maker is only available in about 30 or 40 U.S. cities...which doesn't sound bad until you consider that Bing Maps has much more, and also when you consider that Building Maker really only covers the city center (i.e. downtown). Back to the "traditional" method, I suppose, but I'll try one more thing.

Planning Board: Payless ShoeSource

Payless ShoeSource



Description: A stand-alone Payless ShoeSource store.
Potential in SimCity 4: You can place this in small towns, or if you are highly allergic to malls.
Location in RL: Huntsville, Texas. Similar examples exist elsewhere in Baton Rouge and Fort Worth.
Building Exists?: Yes
Hazards in Modeling: I need all four views, for one
Wikipedia: Payless ShoeSource
Official Website: Payless Shoes
Current Equivalent: There are a number of malls on the STEX, so it's assumed that a Payless would be in one
Photo Credit: Bing Maps
Variation: none
Embellishments: The sound effect will be the stock "cashier" sound. The old-style Payless ShoeSource logo will be superimposed when queried.
Final Notes: This concludes the first session of the Planning Board. I'll start on them.

Planning Board: bigg's

bigg's

Description: One of the first of what I call the "80s hypermarkets". bigg's was headquartered in the Cincinnati area and sold groceries, general merchandise, and much more. The stores were at least 200,000 square feet. Unfortunately, expansion plans for the western USA were axed, and for the rest of bigg's life, it was only in Cincinnati. Even after remodeling stores to more of an upscale supermarket/general merchandise hybrid, bigg's was not able to stay as-is. bigg's will close soon. More info here.
Potential in SimCity 4: I've been fascinated with bigg's for a few years (before it announced that it would go dead). I mean, where else can you find a hypermarket willingly attaching to large shopping malls? Plus, it's a hypermarket that's NOT Wal-Mart Supercenter!
Location in RL: Mason, Ohio, though there are others in Cincinnati
Building Exists?: For now, yes. It may be one of the ones sold to Remke Markets.
Hazards in Modeling: Well, I want to model it to its original form, not the current "Premium, Fresh & Healthy" form. I'm pretty sure the Bing Maps form has been updated since its original pictures...maybe it exists in its original form!
Wikipedia: bigg's
Official Website: Discover Something bigg's
Current Equivalent: None! That makes it all the more unique!
Photo Credit: Wikipedia article of the same name, taken by user "Joekid"
Variation: Could be it in its current Premium, Fresh, and Healthy form.
Embellishments: The sound effect will be the stock "cashier" sound. The bigg's logo will be superimposed when queried.

Planning Board: Stars Over Wellborn

Stars Over Wellborn


Description: A seasonal fireworks stand located in Wellborn, Texas. This is where we got things like everything from sparklers to new novelties that made many a boom and flash. It was only open for July 4th and New Year's. The rest of the year it was shut up like this.
Potential in SimCity 4: I'd always wanted SC4 to resemble the area where I lived. And what more Texan is a fireworks stand? This is a local example, but I've seen "Mr. W" fireworks stands everywhere else. For the complete experience, put this in a kind of rural area but close to a major road.
Location in RL: Wellborn, Texas
Building Exists?: Sadly, as of December 2009, it was not there. It will be missed.
Hazards in Modeling: Unusual shape.
Wikipedia: None
Official Website: None
Current Equivalent: Boomland Fireworks. Unfortunately, it's a little off-scale (as it was released, again, long ago). Furthermore, Boomland isn't JUST a fireworks stand. It's a Missouri-only (and three locations in MO, at that) that sells not only fireworks, but home decor, gasolines, ice cream, cigarettes, collectibles, etc.. It's an eclectic one-of-a-kind convenience store. Sort of like Buc-ee's in the Houston area.
Photo Credit: Chrisadams3997 of SC4D
Variation: Could be renamed "Stars Over SimCity" for generic use
Embellishments: The sound effect will be the stock fireworks sound. And the flammability will be artificially jacked up...

Planning Board: Auchan #2

Auchan #2

Description: Auchan, the popular French hypermarket, opened a second location in Houston in 2000. Although Auchan had a previous 1988 location in Houston that was larger (230k square feet compared to this one's ~180k) and a short-lived Chicago location. The location is a former Target which closed in the 1990s due to the depressed part of town (Gulfgate). Regrettably, both locations of Auchan in Houston (and America) closed in 2003. More information on my blog here.
Potential in SimCity 4: I think cities in SimCity should look realistic and also fairly-comfortable places to live (unless, of course, you try to avoid that) so Auchan would be a good fit. After all, Sims need hypermarkets besides Wal-Mart Supercenter to thrive. It would do great in a Houston CJ or possibly a European CJ (it could do double-duty as a European location...but I could make a Euro version if necessary).
Location in RL: Houston, Texas
Building Exists?: Yes, but it's been a vacant shell since 2003.
Hazards in Modeling: I heard it had a dollar store in part of the building at least part of its life.
Current Equivalent: A STEX model was released in 2004. I left a comment that sums it up: "While this must have been innovative and amazing in 2004, sadly, it has not surpassed the test of time. Proportionally, it is sized to be the end-all of hypermarkets, but in Real Life, that's just not the case. Furthermore, there are textures are missing. Bummer, because I was looking forward to this one."
Wikipedia: Auchan
Official Website: Groupe-Auchan
Photo Credit: sam59 from forum-auto.com
What is This Stuff, Anyway?: This is a new feature where I outline my plans for "Batting Through SketchUp". It serves as a catalog for my plans (work would begin this summer, I think) that allows for comments (feel free to leave one!)