What’s a guy do with his money after he’s already bought his Greenwich mansion, third trophy wife and matching Teslas? A bomb shelter! These lost popularity in the mid-sixties, but now they’re back, priced at $3-$12 million.
As former nuclear missile sites built under the supervision of the Army Corps of Engineers, the structures were originally designed to withstand a direct hit by a nuclear bomb. At ground level, they can be sealed up by two armored doors weighing 16,000 pounds each. Mr. Hall added sophisticated water and air-treatment facilities, state-of-the-art computer network technology and several alternate power generation capabilities.
The projects tap into an undercurrent of angst among some affluent folks that has persisted since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. The global financial crisis and now the possible dangers posed by the Ebola virus and the rise of Islamic State have fueled their safety concerns.
The condos, his company claims, can make it possible to lead an uninterrupted life of luxury underground. In addition to the standard perks—which also include a spa, dog park, fitness center and medical facilities—the complex has enough emergency food on hand to last for up to five years. There’s also a holding cell for unruly occupants.
Individual units have 9-foot ceilings. lighting mimics sunlight as much as possible. In place of windows, there are video screens that can exhibit a resident’s choice of scenery, from landscapes to urban skylines.
Or build you own
One finance type, who declined to be named, transformed a 350-odd-square-foot closet in his family’s Manhattan cooperative into a retreat in case of a home invasion or other emergency.
An armored door to the room can allegedly withstand rifle fire, and the suite is equipped with its own power source and air-scrubbing equipment that could sustain occupants for up to 72 hours. It is stocked with food, purified water, a portable gas range, first aid supplies and games. The cost: close to $100,000, according to Insite Security, the New York firm that supervised the project.
The silo projects, meanwhile, take the safe-room concept to another level. Mr. Hall says the facilities will provide armored transportation if owners get to the local airport or anywhere within 400 miles of the silo. An armed guard protects the entrance to the completed complex around the clock.
For What It's Worth 