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January 3, 2006Hey, look - it's a 'Virtual Frankfort'Firm turns downtown into digital cityscape
 Top, a look down Main Street in Frankfort through the lens of a camera, and bottom, the same view built by City Simulation. But no buildings were demolished, no roads closed for repairs. Instead, the city's boutique shops and restaurants, city hall, the Harbor Lights Resort, even the street's diagonal parking spaces, have been digitized and turned into a cityscape that can be navigated like a video game. "Virtual Frankfort" is being built by City Simulation, L.L.C., of Birmingham, a company that hopes attracting visitors to its site will attract real visitors to Frankfort, or at least visitors to Web sites of Frankfort businesses. "The idea is to essentially recreate the town in the computer so that anyone can visit Frankfort anytime of the year from anywhere," said Donald Fullenwider, president of City Simulation. The site went on-line Dec. 13, but it's not complete and is undergoing frequent updates. "Frankfort has a very attractive downtown and it is of appropriate size for us to be able to roll out this technology," Fullenwider said. Businesses get into the virtual city by paying an annual fee of $495 to be a participant or $3,500 to be a sponsor. Paul Patterson, president and CEO of State Savings Bank, said his company signed on as a sponsor, but not because he believes having the bank's facade digitally rendered in a virtual landscape will attract a lot of business. "It's something that's going to help Frankfort and help the businesses," Patterson said. Steve Campbell, owner of Harbor Lights Resort since June, said he thought virtual Frankfort sounded like it was worth the gamble. "I'm a new business owner here in town and I was intrigued by the new technology," Campbell said. The city of Frankfort and Northern Lights & Lifestyles Ltd. also are sponsors. Fullenwider said his company begins a simulation with a detailed survey of the area and then designers take "thousands and thousands" of digital photos, from the air and from the ground. The technology can also be used by city planners. Soon, developers may be required to build virtual models of proposals so planners can see how a development would fit in to the city before it's approved. "We're building these for the future," Fullenwider said. "The next version of Frankfort is going to include Crystal Lake and Beulah and Benzonia; you'll be able to go to every house that's for sale." On the Net: http://www.citysimulation.com/frankfort/
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