Wonder what this is going to be? (Amateur version)

Update (8/5/09): Last night, I solved the mystery of this odd bit of construction, when I asked a local builder about it. He tells me that he thinks it’s actually a basement for a new home that will erected at that location. (Unlike in many parts of the country, basements are rather rare in West Texas.) He admitted that it was speculation on his part, but he did know a little about the plans for developing that area. In consideration of the privacy of the potential homeowner, we’ll keep his identity a secret. But if it’s true, the new house will be an amazing thing to behold.

Our pal Jimmy over at MyWestTexas.com runs a periodic feature entitled “Wonder what that’s going to be?” in which he drives around Midland looking for new construction and then identifies it. It’s a valuable public service, satisfying the curiosity of many people and preventing them from being transformed into traffic hazards with their rubbernecking (and freeing them up to attend to more important driving matters like texting). Anyway, I have a new candidate for Jimmy to investigate:

Photo of a concrete bunker (or something)

This concrete “bunker” is located near the southeast corner of the intersection of North “A” Street and Mockingbird Lane. It’s almost completely hidden from street-level view by the surrounding mesquite pasture. It’s hard to get a sense of the size of the structure from this photo, but my guess is that it’s about 15′ x 30′ in area, and about 10′-12 tall. There are no visible entrances and I couldn’t see inside the structure to determine what it contains, if anything. I also didn’t notice any piping leading in or out of the box. It appears that this “bunker” will be partially buried once completed.

Any ideas about the purpose of this mystery construction? Anyone?

15 comments

  7. Gwynne, is a “retainee” different from a “detainee”? Sounds like we’re now paying them. (Don’t give Congress any ideas!) 😉
    Deborah, it does have a vaguely “municipal utilities” look to it, but usually that kind of project has a sign associating it with the city. However, if I had to guess, I’d go with something related to storm water drainage or something similar. Just can’t figure out how it works.

  8. Oh! I know! They’re going to round up all the s-n-a-k-e-s and put them in there and hold an airless cage match between the poisonous and non-poisonous (but just as terrible) until all have departed this mortal coil.

  11. The property owner/developer is building his new home at that location. Although panic room, swimming pool of death, retainee/detainee holding facility and snake pit are all possible, my guess would be……wine cellar.

  13. Bill, unless the property owner’s name is Edgar Allen Poe, I’m guessing that your theory might not be accurate. 😉
    …a lifting mechanism or production facilities for a wellsite.
    Well, they are doing some drilling in this vicinity, but all the wells are across “A” Street or Mockingbird, and flow lines would have be routed under those roads. And, again, there’s no external evidence of a place to tie in a line. I suppose it could be the world’s fanciest mud pit, but I sorta doubt it.

  15. Still channeling the 50s, eh, Donna? 😉
    Actually, that’s not too far from the truth — or one possible version of the truth — as I describe in the update to this post.

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