November 2016 – TEXAS – Some upper-income Texans are headed down below, not Australia, but in an large underground bunker complex. An investor group is planning for a doomsday scenario by building a $300 million luxury community underground replete with the latest leisure amenities like a golf course and shooting range. The development, called Trident Lakes, is in a little town called Ector, which is just northeast of Dallas. Residents will enjoy an equestrian center, 18-hole golf course, polo fields, zip lines and gun ranges. Retail shops, restaurants and a row of helipads are also in the works. For those looking to “get away,” they’ll also be able to enjoy three white sand beaches and a neighborhood spa.
“We’ve evolved it into long-term sustainability instead of a survival community,” Trident Lakes CEO Jim O’Connor told the Houston Chronicle, adding that the 400 planned condos will house about 1,600 people. “The concept is to build a community that will last two centuries or longer. That means we’re looking at designs that include earth structures that won’t be exposed to the elements.” Residents will first be able to move-in possibly as soon as 2018, O’Connor said, with construction slated to potentially begin next year.