[Site photo courtesy Dan's Papers]
File this under questionable development locations. Dan's Papers is reporting that a former nuclear missile base in Westhampton may be subdivided and sold off to raise money for Suffolk County. The secretive nuclear program on the land originally went into effect in 1960, with missiles that were 'fully armed and ready to launch on three minutes notice'. The 96 acres that make up the Cold War era launch site have been used as nothing more than a junkyard for the county since the 1970s, when the 56 guided missiles were removed.
Today, with funds at a premium, advisors suggest that between $23 million and $47 million could be made on the sale of the land. The site, which is adjacent to Gabreski Airport, is now home to the former missiles' launch pads, over 2,000 junk cars, and 'old worn out computers, copiers, freezers, furniture, filing cabinets, tables, chairs, air conditioning units and other crap that the County never knew what to do with'. No word on when decisions will be made or if a buyer is in the wings, but Suffolk County's desperation for cash might set this environmentalists' nightmare in motion.
· NukeHampton [Dan's Papers]