There's a luxury community planned for Texas that will have underground bunkers

Trident Lakes is an upscale-community north Texas community that is in development. Country clubs, an 18-hole golf club and approximately 400 condos are planned, as well as bunkers in cases of emergency. Trident Lakes is an upscale-community north Texas community that is in development. Country clubs, an 18-hole golf club and approximately 400 condos are planned, as well as bunkers in cases of emergency. Photo: Trident Lakes Photo: Trident Lakes Image 1 of / 44 Caption Close There's a luxury community planned for Texas that will have underground bunkers 1 / 44 Back to Gallery

If you're looking to join an upscale community that'll be prepared for any disaster, you may want to move to North Texas in the next few years.

Trident Lakes is a 700-acre, $300 million development that's billed as a "lavish country-club community" that' developers say is "part private resort, part safe haven."

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The community is being built along Highway 56, between Ector and Savoy. Ector is about 50 miles northwest of Dallas.

Trident Lakes CEO Jim O'Connor and spokesman Richie Whitt said the 400 planned condos will be able to house about 1,600 people total. The condos will range from 900 to 3,600 square feet in size and feature underground floors.

O'Connor understands there may be an inkling to look at Trident Lakes as a "doomsday survival community," but said he doesn't view his development in such terms.

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"We've evolved it into long-term sustainability instead of a survival community," O'Connor said. "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."

Part of that longevity feature is building most of the condos underground.

O'Connor plans to make the community sustainable by including "off the grid" sources of food, water and energy. Communal greenhouses, an air purification system and even a DNA vault are also planned for the community.

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On the upscale side of Trident Lakes, O'Connor plans on adding an equestrian center, polo fields, zip lines and gun ranges. Retail shops, restaurants and a row of helipads are also in the works.

O'Connor and Whitt haven't disclosed a set price to move into the community yet. Whitt said the condos will be comparable to owning a second home.

"Interest in the community has been very favorable," Whitt said. "We've gotten over 300 people who are interested, telling us to put them down for a down payment."

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O'Connor said the first wave of move-ins may start sometime in 2018 if everything goes according to plan. The CEO said surveying and basic engineering is underway now and construction could start in 2017.

"We're looking into using different energy sources and innovative amenities," O'Connor said. "This is not only a place to go in an emergency, but also a place people can enjoy living in year round."

For more information, visit the Trident Lakes homepage.