City Government moves into new facilities

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Mira Octavius-Aryani
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City Government moves into new facilities

Post by Mira Octavius-Aryani »

The government of the City of Shirekeep is quietly relocating into its new central administrative building. The building, dubbed the Prefectica, after the Prefect of Shirekeep, will also serve as a hub for a new complex still under construction at the site of the old Prefectoral Palace. The Prefect's residence, city courts, open-air market, park space, and city archival facilities are still under construction.

The Prefectica has had its official opening and completion postponed until 1651 AN, to avoid a celebratory atmosphere during the period of mourning decreed for the late Kaiseress Noor.

The office of the Prefect of Shirekeep itself shall remain in temporary facilities within Raynor's Keep until the Prefectural Complex nears completion.
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Count Palatine of Kezan
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Flak Tower leveled, 2 others to be restored at Crater Lakes

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Residents of Shirekeep have been reminded regularly for the past month, and now it is done.

Of the eight ruined Flak Towers that encircle Craker Lakes Memorial Park, Tower III was brought down this morning using dynamite charges in three deafening phases. This follows a previous attempt two weeks ago that left the steel-reinforced concrete edifice cracked but still standing. Tower III was selected for demolition once construction plans for a new monumental plaza were finalized. Towers IV and V, on the other hand, have been designated for refurbishment as non-functional restorations under the continued ownership of MoMA. The Prefect of Shirekeep reassured local residents that there are no plans at this time for the two restored towers to be re-equipped for service as fortified anti-aircraft artillery platforms. The other remaining towers are expected to remain ruins for the foreseeable future.

The adjacent portion of the Kaiser's Boulevard will remain closed until engineers have verified that the roadway has not been damaged and cleaning crews have removed stray rubble.

Count Palatine of Kezan
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Phase I Construction at Prefectural Complex Complete

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The last civil servants in the Shirekeep City Government have moved out of Raynor's Keep and into the newly-completed facilities of the Prefectural Complex. All are reminded to visit the new site at Kaiser's Boulevard and Nobles' Avenue for business instead of the Iron Gate from this point onward. Government workers are reporting to work in mourning clothes and tears on their cheeks and are expected to continue until the end of the mourning period in two months.

Included among the last to move in is the Prefect of Shirekeep herself, Count Mira Octavius-Aryani. She performed a simple ceremony this morning, laying the last flagstone into the open plaza located in front of the Prefectica and flipping a switch to turn on the fountains at the plaza's center. Vacant pedestals in the plaza mark future locations for various minor monuments that are either still being worked or are waiting for the mourning period to lapse before placement.

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The Prefectural Complex is built in the same location as the Prefectoral Palace and fulfills much of the same functions. The Prefectoral Palace had burned down during the Year of the Four Kaisers and the site had been rubble until this latest project was approved for construction. The remains of the previous structure were cleared and the site was excavated down to the bedrock and rebuilt with an extensive substructure. It has not been officially confirmed, but anonymous sources indicate that the new Prefectural Complex connects to the old IAC underground tunnels, suggesting that these too are being refurbished for the discrete transportation of government notables throughout Shirekeep. The construction of the complex from scratch has allowed the city government to include features that would not have been available had the old palace simply been rebuilt. These include a defensive perimeter which, during a moment of crisis, can raise a hardened barrier all the way around the complex and protect those inside from virtually anything below armoured vehicles.

The Prefectural Complex covers 6.51 hectares, but much of that space remains rather underdeveloped. For now, only four structures will occupy the complex: the central Prefectica -- where the majority of city administration will be housed along with several public spaces for events, the Prefect's Residence, the Central Court Building, and the Hall of Records. Phase II construction plans have not yet been finalized, so it is unclear at this time which structures and/or features will be added to the complex in the future.

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In concert with the construction of the Prefectural Complex is a repaving of the intersection of Kaiser's Boulevard and Nobles' Avenue into a roundabout of significant proportion. Traffic through the roundabout is now open. At the center of the roundabout, a cylindrical scaffold disguises the base of a new monument, tentatively named the City Tower. When complete, a sizable victory column will tower over the neighborhood.

Craftsmen are hard at work completing the status set to be placed at the top of City Tower: a golden-bronze and wrought-iron status depicting the scene emblazoned on the Shirekeep's flag -- a shining angel defeating a daemon at the point of a spear. An internal stairwell will allow residents and tourists alike to ascend to the top for what is expected to be a breathtaking view of the Imperial Capital.

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Lichkeep Sinking? Prefect's Stability Survey Too Optimistic?

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The Shirekeep Reconstruction Commission is receiving renewed criticism by residents of Lichkeep following the release of a ground stability survey. The results, which have been criticized for being overly optimistic in its forecasting of river effluent from the Blue Elwynn and in the construction of new flood levees, drainage canals, and support pylons to keep the street level above the water line. This comes during Week Three of a declared Flood Emergency throughout Lichkeep, which have forced residents to construct makeshift raised sidewalks to go about their business.

An anonymous source within the Prefectura stated that the transfer of Lichkeep into the City of Shirekeep's management, "must have been done to dump the problem on us. Lichkeep's streets have been sinking for decades now with virtually no effort made by the Necrarchs to counteract it." This source also indicated that the logistics of saving the city may outweigh the benefits and that residents would be better off abandoning Lichkeep to the river. The Office of the Prefect has not responded to the questions about these statements at this time.

Some residents, found wading through the water on their way to work, guffawed at their neighbors' worries. "It's built on a bloody swamp. It's been like this for years. I don't know what you people expect!"

Mourning Park and the Shrubbery remain closed to the public for the duration of the Flood Emergency.

Count Palatine of Kezan
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Eviction Notices issued for Phase II Constructions

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The Shirekeep Reconstruction Commission's Office of Corrective Measures has issued several hundred notices to the residents and owners of buildings along Noble's Avenue this morning. These notices summarily evict any and all residents from the premises and compensate all property owners through the Office of Corrective Measures. Compensation properties will be included in Phase III, which has yet to be fully-designed and approved.

This latest round of relocations target the privately-held properties that block the Commission's Phase II construction projects aimed at improving Noble's Avenue. By project completion, Noble's Avenue will be wider and straighter and include an at-grade light rail track along its entire length. The Kaiser's Boulevard, which is also set to receive a light rail upgrade, is already wide enough to accommodate this improvement.

Other projects within Phase II include a transit hub close to the near-complete City Tower and Prefectural Complex and upgrading the Ministry of Interior's facilities to the new security and logistics standard set by Phase I.

Demolition is set to begin in one week's time.

Count Palatine of Kezan
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Completion of Noor Gate in Raynor's Keep

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A fourth gatehouse into Raynor's Keep has been completed. Located between the Silver and Golden Gates, this new gate, the Bâb-an-Nûr, literally the Gate of Light, was commissioned to celebrate the memory of the late Kaiseress Noor, for whom it is named.

The Bâb-an-Nûr was constructed under the aegis of the Kaiser's Boulevard Rehabilitation Program of the Shirekeep Reconstruction Commission. Unlike the Silver and Golden Gates, the Bâb-an-Nûr is positioned to align with the Kaiser's Boulevard precisely, negating the need for the road to split left and right when it approaches the walls of Raynor's Keep. New, nonmonumental roads will be constructed to connect to the Golden and Silver Gates, while the old monumental paths will be torn up and converted to park land.

The Bâb-an-Nûr shall be reserved for use by the Kaiser, the Imperial Family, those accorded the rank of Serenissimus, and their entourages. At all other times, the gate will remain closed.

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Lower Sections of Lichkeep, Museum, University under Evacuat

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The Prefect of Shireroth has ordered an evacuation of all persons residing at the lowest elevations of Lichkeep, which includes a majority of the city center. Lichkeep University and the Unnatural History Museum are currently having their personnel and collections evacuated in order to preserve them. Temporary encampments are being set up around Tempus Keep, South of the Temple of Unlife, and south of Lichkeep Terminal. A more long-term encampment is currently under construction southeast of Lichkeep to house the displaced residents of the city until a more permanent option can be found.

This action was precipitated by a breach of the flood wall that had been built up along the Lichkeep Canals in order to keep flood waters at bay. Detachment from the Imperial Army were unable to restore the barrier.

Count Palatine of Kezan
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Phase II Constructions Near Completion

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The Crater Lakes Transit Center officially opened for business this week. It is designed to be one of the primary hubs for public transportation within the City of Shirekeep. At present, only tramway, bus, and taxi services shall be available.

Tram Lane A, which currently runs the length of Kaiser's Boulevard from CLTC to the Immeritus District, will receive passengers at the forward tram loading zone. Tram Lane B, which is projected to run the length of Noble's Boulevard from CLTC to the Inns of Court by the end of this month, will receive passengers at the rear tram loading zone.

Once subterranean railway lines are repaired and/or completed, the CLTC will also function as a major station for regional interurban rapid transit, connecting Shirekeep Proper with Lichkeep, Cabbagefall, the former Elwynnese bailliwicks, and points beyond.

Shops are already moving into the new facilities in the hope of attracting customers.


The Bread Museum, Shirekeep's most important cultural achievement, has reopened for visitors after a lengthy repair process. All work to the Bread Museum is unrelated to the construction of a restricted access underground parking lot whose entrance is across the street.


Apartments and condominiums are opening up between Almodovar Children's Hospital and Raynertoo Park. Several units have already sold as part of compensation property agreements signed in order to clear land for Phase I Constructions. All structures within this five-block area have five or six floors as well as a basement level and elevators.

By design, these buildings will be mixed use, with shops and/or offices on the ground floor and residential/office units of varying size and price above. Across the Kaiser's Boulevard,
additional structures are currently under construction in the same style.

Count Palatine of Kezan
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