SimCity 4/Reward Buildings

Reward buildings are buildings which are not available by default, but which need to be earned beforehand. While there are also non-reward buildings which need to be unlocked, no reward buildings are available in the beginning of the game.

The reward buildings can be classified within two groups:

Business Deals

Business Deals will not by default appear in the list. They are only available if you're rapidly losing money and going deep into debt.

In short, it is not recommended to build them. While they do get you some money, they have adverse side effects which can ruin the city, not to mention they reduce the Mayor Rating. On top of that, they cost tons to demolish once you want them gone.

Casino

Casino
Construction Cost	§0	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	§300 income	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 24,000 Legalize Gambling ordinance enacted

The Casino can only be built if Legalize Gambling is enacted, otherwise it won't be available. The side effect is that it acts as a huge magnet to crime, on top of the crime increase caused by the Legalize Gambling ordinance. While it does increase commercial desirability around it, the crime mostly negates the effect.

Federal Prison

Federal Prison
Construction Cost	§0	Capacity	3,000 inmates
Maintenance Cost	§250 income	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 5,000 Funds: lower than §30,000

The Federal Prison should be kept away from residental areas as it has a tremendous effect on residental (as well as commercial) desirability. However, it does act as a larger jail in case you need the capacity.

Missile Range

Missile Range
Construction Cost	§0	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	§450 income	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 500 Funds: lower than §5,000

The Missile Range easily provides the most income of all the business deals. However, there's a chance of a misfire, which can hit your city and destroy several buildings if you're unlucky. This makes it a quite risky business deal to utilize.

Toxic Waste Dump

Toxic Waste Dump
Construction Cost	§0	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	§400 income	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Funds: lower than §-1,000

The Toxic Waste Dump generates huge amounts of pollution, including radiation, which means it cannot be built anywhere near civilization since Sims abhor radiation. It does provide quite some income, though.

Army Base

Army Base
Construction Cost	§0	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	§350 income	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 2,000 Funds: lower than §30,000

The Army Base is another producer of radiation (even if not much). However it does have a slight positive effect on commercial desirability and, interestingly, increases the industrial manufacturing demand cap. It may be the most worthwhile out of all the business deals.

Rewards

These have mostly positive effects when built. While some cost a lot to maintain, others are free and therefore highly recommended to build.

Mayor's House

Mayor's House
Construction Cost	§1800	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	§20/month	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 500 Mayor Rating: 20

The Mayor's House acts as a large park in that it tremendously increases desirability for both residental and commercial population around it. It also has a slight positive effect on the Mayor Rating.

House of Worship 1

House of Worship
Construction Cost	§0	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	N/A	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 1400 Mayor Rating: 40

The House of Worship has a positive effect on residental population, so build it where your people live. Every single one of them also raises the middle-wealth residental demand cap.

Cemetery 1

Cemetery
Construction Cost	§0	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	N/A	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 2500 Mayor Rating: 42 House of Worship 1 has been built

The cemetery's main purpose is removing air pollution. As it's free as well, there's no reason to not build it.

Mayor's Statue

Mayor's Statue
Construction Cost	§3700	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	§30	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 5000 Mayor Rating: 60

Even though this has a slight positive effect on its surroundings, the main reason for this reward is decoration.

Farmer's Market

Farmer's Market
Construction Cost	§4900	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	§30	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 3000 Agricultural population: 600 Mayor Rating: 34

Even if you don't plan to get farms, you should at the very least try to get this reward. It provides a nice health boost to your residents and on top of that raises the residental demand cap tremendously.

House of Worship 2

House of Worship
Construction Cost	§0	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	N/A	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 9000 Mayor Rating: 44 House of Worship 1 has been built

Simply another House of Worship for you to build, with the same effect.

Impressive Mayor's Statue

Impressive Mayor's Statue
Construction Cost	§6400	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	§80	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 30000 Mayor Rating: 60

Another Mayor's Statue for you to build in your city.

Country Club

Country Club
Construction Cost	§0	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	N/A	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: High-wealth residental population: 2000 Mayor Rating: 55

The Country Club, besides acting as a supersized park, raises the high-wealth residental demand cap.

State Fair

State Fair
Construction Cost	§14000	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	N/A	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 3500 Agricultural population: 1200 Mayor Rating: 48

The State Fair doesn't have too many good things about it. It raises commercial desirability, but that's it already, because it is a huge crime magnet, which pretty much negates the aforementioned effect.

University

University
Construction Cost	§82000	Capacity	10000 students
Maintenance Cost	§1500	Capacity Cost	§0.15 / student
Requirements: Residental population: 15000 Mayor Rating: 42 School grade: 95

The University is a great help to any educational system, however it is extremely expensive so you will not be likely to be able to afford one until late in the game.

Major Art Museum

Major Art Museum
Construction Cost	§13000	Capacity	24000 exhibit tickets
Maintenance Cost	§250	Capacity Cost	§0.0104167 / exhibit ticket
Requirements: Middle and high wealth residental population: 12000 Mayor Rating: 45 Number of museums: 4 Museum grade: 85

The Major Art Museum provides a great boost to education especially for older Sims, however it is very expensive to maintain.

Radio Station

Radio Station
Construction Cost	§0	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	N/A	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 18000 Mayor Rating: 30

The Radio Station's main purpose is to raise the demand cap. It slightly raises commercial desirability around it as well.

Cemetery 2

Cemetery
Construction Cost	§0	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	N/A	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 15000 Mayor Rating: 46 Cemetery 1 has been built

Another cemetery for you to build.

Minor League Stadium

Minor League Stadium
Construction Cost	§17000	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	§120	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 22500 Mayor Rating: 20 Number of parks: 16

The Minor League Stadium is a huge relief for the demand cap. However, people don't like to live next to it, so build it in your commercial areas if possible.

Main Library

Main Library
Construction Cost	§36000	Capacity	400000 books
Maintenance Cost	§210	Capacity Cost	§0.000525 / book
Requirements: Residental population: 34000 Mayor Rating: 37 Number of libraries: 5 Library grade: 85

The Main Library is the average people's counterpart to the Major Art Museum. It's cheaper and probably more worthwhile to get (but still rather expensive).

House of Worship 3

House of Worship
Construction Cost	§0	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	N/A	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 40500 Mayor Rating: 48 House of Worship 2 has been built

Another House of Worship for you to build.

Magnificent Mayor's Statue

Magnificent Mayor's Statue
Construction Cost	§22000	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	§150	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 60000 Mayor Rating: 60

Another Mayor's Statue for you to build.

Disease Research Center

Disease Research Center
Construction Cost	§26000	Capacity	60000 patients
Maintenance Cost	§180	Capacity Cost	§0.003 / patient
Requirements: Residental population: 56000 Mayor Rating: 45 Number of hospitals: 3

This building is mainly a boost to health. It will never get very many patients so the capacity cost is negligible. However, it generates radiation so watch out.

You can gain availability to this by completing the “Slipped on Llama Dung” U-Drive challenge using an ambulance. To drive an ambulance, you need a hospital in your city which is available from the beginning.

Opera House

Opera House
Construction Cost	§68000	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	§330	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Middle and high wealth residental population: 48000 Mayor Rating: 52 Major Art Museum has been built

The Opera House is not a good building to build. Not only is its maintenance cost rather high, but due to a bug, it will actually reduce education in large cities due to overcrowding, so you should generally avoid it.

The alternate way of getting this reward is to build a small landing strip type of airport and successfully do a taxi cab u-drive it mission.

Tourist Trap

Tourist Trap
Construction Cost	§0	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	N/A	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Regional residental population: 40000 Number of neighbor cities: 4 Number of connected cities in region: 6

The Tourist Trap helps with commercial desirability and also raises the residental demand cap.

Convention Center

Convention Center
Construction Cost	§42000	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	§220	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Commercial population: 25000 Mayor Rating: 40 Either municipal or international airport has been built

The Convention Center is great to build in commercial districts. It also helps with the commercial office demand cap.

If you're not able to reach the requirements for this reward, there is an alternate way of being rewarded by the convention center because this is one of the reward buildings that can be awarded to you if you build a bus transportation system. If you have a bus transportation system and you successfully complete the sick bus driver mission, then you get this as a gift.

Television Studio

Television Studio
Construction Cost	§0	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	N/A	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 65000 Mayor Rating: 50 Radio Station has been built

This one's similar to the Radio Station in effect. However, do not build it in your residental areas as people do not like to live next to one.

• Can also be unlocked with the Deluxe Police Station helicopter task to keep the spotlight on the crook using the ghetto bird

Cemetery 3

Cemetery
Construction Cost	§0	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	N/A	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 60000 Mayor Rating: 50 Cemetery 2 has been built

Another cemetery for you to build.

City Zoo

City Zoo
Construction Cost	§37000	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	§260	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 80000 Mayor Rating: 68 Number of parks: 25

The City Zoo greatly raises the demand cap.

City Hall

City Hall
Construction Cost	§17000	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	§280	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 12500 Mayor Rating: 20

This reward will automatically dispatch fire engines if a fire occurs in a fire station's radius. It also has a slight positive effect on commercial areas.

Resort Hotel

Resort Hotel
Construction Cost	§0	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	N/A	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Middle and high wealth regional residental demand: 50000 Mayor Rating: 52 Number of neighbor cities: 2 Number of connected cities in region: 3 Air pollution: lower than 20

The Resort Hotel provides some jobs and helps with the residental demand cap.

Courthouse

Courthouse
Construction Cost	§21000	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	§300	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 40000 Mayor Rating: 33 City Hall has been built

The courthouse has largely a similar effect to the City Hall, except that it contributes to crime fighting.

Bureau of Bureaucracy

Bureau of Bureaucracy
Construction Cost	§36000	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	§320	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 39000 Mayor Rating: 30 Education funding: 101% Health funding: 101% Courthouse has been built

Same here. Especially the requirement of a fully funded health and education system, which creates extreme additional costs, makes this not at all worthwhile to pursue.

Major League Stadium

Major League Stadium
Construction Cost	§78000	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	§340	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 85000 Mayor Rating: 30 Minor League Stadium has been built

This is basically a beefed up version of the Minor League Stadium. However, it is quite expensive. Again, keep it away from residental areas.

Movie Studio

Movie Studio
Construction Cost	§0	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	N/A	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 110000 Mayor Rating: 52 Television Studio has been built

The movie studio doesn't have much of an effect, but since it's free, there is no reason to not build it.

House of Worship 4

House of Worship
Construction Cost	§0	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	N/A	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 96000 Mayor Rating: 52 House of Worship 3 has been built

Another House of Worship for you to build.

Colossal Mayor's Statue

Colossal Mayor's Statue
Construction Cost	§59000	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	§300	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Residental population: 120000 Mayor Rating: 60

The last statue of yours for your city.

Stock Exchange

Stock Exchange
Construction Cost	§0	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	N/A	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: Commercial office population: 25000 Mayor Rating: 45

As its name would suggest, this building is excellent for your commercial areas.

Advanced Research Center

Advanced Research Center
Construction Cost	§50000	Capacity	N/A
Maintenance Cost	§280	Capacity Cost	N/A
Requirements: High-tech industrial population: 2000 Mayor Rating: 54 University has been built

This mostly raises the high-tech industrial demand cap. It too generates radiation, so be careful about where to place it.