This luxury condo development featuring 'DEFCON 1 preparedness' is built for the apocalypse
Someday, the 1% may live out Armageddon in style at Trident Lakes, a $300 million luxury condo development currently under construction along a highway north of Dallas, Texas.
While a spokesperson for the community was quick to dismiss the label "doomsday shelter," he compared Trident Lakes to "a five-star playground with DEFCON 1 preparedness."
Fortified shelters, built to withstand catastrophic events from viral epidemic to nuclear war, seem to be experiencing a wave of interest as hints of a new Cold War ramp up.
Trident Lakes is jumping on the trend. The development sits on 700 acres along Highway 56 and will contain 400 subterranean condos that house about 1,600 people. Residents will enjoy a golf course, a spa, three 15-acre lagoons, running trails, a gun range, an equestrian center, restaurants, shops, and a lavish fountain that could create a Guinness World Record for height.
YouTube/Trident Lakes
The condos, which will range in size from 900 to 4,500 square feet, are made from reinforced steel. Off-the-grid systems will be put in place to supply food, water, and electricity.
"Our residents will enjoy a piece of paradise and peace of mind," Richie Whitt, communications director for Trident Lakes, said in a statement.
Move-in could start as early as 2018, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Security is a top priority at Trident Lakes. A security wall will encase the property. Community members will be able to visit each other's homes via an underground tunnel system. There will also be a landing area for helicopters and a vault where tenants can store their own DNA samples, which could help people keep their lineage going in the event of a catastrophe, according to Whitt.
YouTube/Trident Lakes
Such safety comes at a premium. Whitt estimates the cost of a condo will pass the mid-six figures.
Trident Lakes said it will provide discounted rates to members of law enforcement, teachers, and other civil servants, in order to ensure a diverse, safe, and sustainable community.
"People of all responsible social backgrounds instinctively think about long-term survival, but simply are too busy or do not have the skill sets to assemble all the ingredients necessary to increase the odds of survival if threatened by a catastrophic event," said James O'Connor, CEO of Vintuary Holdings, which is developing Trident Lakes.
The developers are currently accepting applications, though the first round of enrollment is by invitation only. A membership questionnaire on the website asks questions about age, education, and criminal background, but also, "How would you characterize your temperament in times of extreme adversity?"
Doomsday preppers can join the waitlist online now.