Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette A May 2017 photograph taken from the radar tower of the former Air Force radar base atop Mt. Horace Greeley in Eagle Harbor Township, Keweenaw County. The former air base was auctioned off this past week, alleviating the county of liability threat.

KEWEENAW COUNTY — The online auction of Mount Horace Greeley in Keweenaw County has been closed, stated a Thursday Night release from County Prosecuting Attorney Chuck Miller.

The winning bidder, said Miller, is Zach Garner, of Perry, Michigan, whose bid was approximately $227,365.00. Mr. Garner submitted his winning bid on behalf of himself and a number of Michigan Tech alumni.

Included in the release was a cover letter that accompanied Mr. Garner’s winning bid that describes his group’s plans for the facility, that reads in part:

“We are a group of friends and family, composed mostly of Michigan Tech University graduates,that have dreamt for years about the prospect of turning the aforementioned property into a destination that any one and everyone can enjoy.

We are passionate about theKeweenaw Peninsula and respectful of the deep history rooted in the area, including this site itself. Further, we recognize and value the importance of maintaining and restoring the environment to a sustainable state. Should the county accept our bid, we will start working immediately to begin the restoration process and turn the site into a destination that will not only help remediate the environmental issues, but also employ local residents and increase tourism in a way that positively impacts the entire community. Aided by the quantity and quality of graduate

Michigan Tech engineers in our group, we have the collective experience and connections to not just understand the sheer magnitude of such a project, but to also have the skills and resources to accomplish our ambitious goals.

Should the county accept our bid, we will start working immediately to begin the restoration process and turn the site into a destination that will not only help remediate the environmental issues but also employ local residents and increase tourism in a way that positively impacts the entire community. Aided by the quantity and quality of graduate Michigan Tech engineers in our group, we have the collective experience and connections to not just understand the sheer magnitude of such a project, but to also have the skills and resources to accomplish our ambitious goals. Following is a non-exhaustive list of some relevant professional experience individuals in our group possess:

– Industrial controls design and installation for automated systems including required fire indication, water and sewage controls, and other commercial building necessities like HVAC and safety systems.

– Environmental engineering with a focus on water quality, remediation, and design for sewage, storm and fresh water systems.

– Equipment and vehicular mechanical repair including hydraulics and heavy machinery typically used in any construction.

– Computer engineering, software development, and I.T. with enough experience to handle all low voltage systems and installations including security cameras, access control systems, networks, etc.

– Construction and general contracting including: framing, masonry, roofing, drywall, electrical, plumbing, finishing, etc.”

The former U.S. Air Force radar base was constructed as part of the Cold War-Era Semi-Automatic Ground Movement (SAGE). The base operated for nearly 40 years, before the Air Force closed the site, leaving it to Keweenaw County. The site was then used as a campus for the Keweenaw Academy, which closed in 2003.

When the base was constructed by the USAF, it included a radio site, an operations area, a cantonment area, and three different housing areas. Included in the housing and cantonment, the base offered housing for approximately 45 families, plus dormitories, a dining hall, a fitness center with a bowling alley, medical facilities and a youth center. Since its abandonment in 2003, however, the site has been vandalized with graffiti, windows and doors have been smashed and destroyed and the County has been trying to sell it.

Currently, the former air base is classified as a Brownfield site. In 2017, the Air Force conducted tests for contaminated groundwater. There is asbestos on the site and lead-based paint, as well as oil spills. The Air Force has been denying any responsibility for those materials, saying they were not used in the construction of the facility. However, none of those materials were present at the site before it was built by the Air Force.

Selling the site eliminates an enormous liability concern with the buildings.It will also bring in money for the county, add money to the tax rolls and potentially create jobs in the county.