The current rise of right-wing authoritarianism got you feeling fidgety about your country? You can get away from it all, Cold War-style, just 30 minutes from the inner metro for $2.25 million.
That's the price tag for a just-listed property in Castle Rock, Minnesota, that was once known as the U.S. Army's Nike missile battery MS-40. Today, "this estate features 11 distinct building structures, an underground bunker, and boundless potential for a family compound, future business endeavors, or the opportunity to own and preserve a piece of history," according to the listing from Andy Voyen of Edina Realty. That includes the "fully renovated" Moroccan-inspired primary home, plus a guest house, mess hall featuring a commercial-grade kitchen, and a safehouse that's "ideal for doomsday preppers." In total, you're looking at three bedrooms and three bathrooms across 3,500 square feet of finished living space.
Constructed in 1957, the 27-acre compound no longer houses 41-foot Nike Hercules surface-to-air missiles. But that wasn't always the case, per this historical blurb from the Library of Congress...
The Nike missile system, first developed in the 1950s, was the United States' first and most widely deployed air defense missile system. Nike installations were a critical element in national air defense during the Cold War. While the U.S. military deployed on number of air defense systems during and after the Cold War, Nike was the most assessable to the public because of its numerous installations in close proximity to major metropolitan areas. Nike Battery MS-40, in Farmington Minnesota, is the best-preserved Nike installation in Minnesota. After decommissioning, missiles, fueling and guiding systems were removed but the remaining buildings provide a rich level of material. The Farmington site typifies the Nike system in its technical, operational and architectural elements and is a physical manifestation of American military history and of our nation's involvement in the Cold War.
MS-40 was decommissioned in 1972, though it'd be used for research by the United States Bureau of Mines for decades. Briefly in the '90s the site returned to war mode, serving as a radio outpost during Desert Storm. In 2006 the federal government filled the underground tunnels, a move that retroactively annoyed its first civilian owner, David Sodergren, the Red Wing Republican Eagle newspaper reported in 2008. By the mid-'00s Sodergren, a member of the Minnesota Airsoft Association, had purchased the ex-missile site and outfitted it with an arsenal of airsoft weapons. He'd hoped to build a "mini city" training facility for military and law enforcement.
"I'm envisioning this to be something like the Valleyfair of training centers," he told the Republican Eagle. "I want to create a wow factor in the community."
Current owners Lahcen and Amina Grass bought the ol' missile compound in 2016 for $208,000, according to county records. It required $10,000 of landscaping just to cut back the "jungle" of overgrowth, they told WCCO in 2020. Originally from Morocco, the Grasses at one point had hoped to open a Mediterranean cooking school on the farm-friendly Dakota County grounds; they absolutely cleaned up the main residence, which currently shines with recent high-end finishes. Now they're ready to sell. (Their listing agent didn't respond to an interview request for additional intel.)
What's it like living inside a relic of Cold War history, WCCO's John Lauritsen asked Lahcen in '20?
"Sometimes it's scary and sometimes it's rewarding," he confirmed with a big smile.
Enjoy this explosive photo tour, courtesy of the MLS listing.
