Feb. 15, 2008 -- Is world domination or surviving a global catastrophe your goal? An impenetrable former military base, now available on eBay, is a good place to start.
For a mere $495 a month, you can rent areas at the former Larson Air Force Base Complex in central Washington state, formerly home to three nuclear-tipped, Titan-class intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Bari Hotchkiss, a self-described business and real estate entrepreneur based in Southern California, currently owns the base. Hotchkiss says he's had the land for "years and years" and that he got it from two guys (now dead) who bought the base in the 1970s when the government first shut it down.
For years he used it as a summer retreat for his family.
"It's the same idea if you lived in a city and took your kids to a summer camp," said Hotchkiss. "Instead, we had a missile base that the kids could take their friends to."
The base is home to more than 47,000 square feet of underground rooms and tunnels. The largest rooms, which once housed the Titan missiles, rise more than 155 feet.
"The kids liked to launch rockets off the top of the missile silos," said Hotchkiss.
Demand has been high. In particular, people are asking for tours of the base, but Hotchkiss isn't sure if that's something he wants to do.
"If someone else is set up to do that kind of thing, we would consider it," he said.
Rent per month starts at $495 for the Equipment Terminal and goes up to $1,500 for one of three 160-foot-tall missile silos. The site has been available for rent for several years now.
Currently, Hotchkiss is renting out sections of the above-ground plains and underground tunnel space to Terror Management, a company that organizes Airsoft tournaments and does tactical training for the U.S. Army and SWAT teams. Airsoft is similar to paint ball but uses plastic pellets that are cheaper, cleaner and less painful than paint balls.
Steve Towns, the manager of Terror Management and a full-time apartment manager, plans to run the first Airsoft tournament at the former Fulton base later this month.
In the game, the teams, made of current and ex-military members, along with serious amateur players, work to attack and defend the nuclear missile silo. Their mission: get to the silo and stop the missile from being launched.
"This is the best first-person shooter game ever," said Towns, referring to popular computer games like Halo or Half-Life.
While one weekend a month will be devoted to Airsoft, Hotchkiss sees other potential uses for the site, in particular as a research area or for data storage, both of which often need secure facilities.
"After all, it is one of the safest places on Earth," he said.
Related Links:
our sites
video
mobile
shop
stay connected
corporate
