When a moribund Titan II Nuclear Missile Complex north of Little Rock, Ark., went on the market as a real estate offering in 2010, G.T. Hill saw an opportunity to engage in some modern archeology.
Hill purchased the long-neglected bunker and set out on a journey of renovation that resulted in a premier rental space – complete with an Ashly Audio-powered sound system.
“I saw the site was available and thought it would be really cool to turn it into a fully livable home,” said Hill, who works in the technology field but is quick to note the renovation of a government missile silo isn’t within his job description.
“I grew up building things and working in a machine shop. I’m interested in design, and I am a tech guy. That said, turning this into something livable was definitely a first-of-its-kind project for me,” he said.
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On Oct. 14, 2010, Hill opened the silo for the first time and was greeted by a deluge of rushing water. That inauspicious start didn’t deter him.
After a decade of investing “money, pain, excitement, time (and) tears” into the project, Hill opened a luxury venue for those seeking a unique vacation spot or unforgettable event location.
“It became a legitimate, fully livable home in December 2020,” Hill said. “During the renovations I determined this could probably be run as a business. We could host events here or offer overnight stays.
“With COVID, some of that has been put on hold, but we do plan to still have corporate events here as it is safe to do so,” he said.
Inside the Titan II Nuclear Missile Complex
Hill knew he needed a premier sound system to facilitate future corporate events – and that had him installing multiple Ashly solutions. The bunker uses four Ashly amplifier offerings – two KLR2000s and two KLR4000s.
The KLR Series uses a switch-mode power supply that assures flawless lows, punchy mids and pristine highs.
The installation also uses a Protēa ne24.24m DSP matrix processor, which offers up to 24-channels of audio matrixing and processing. This enables the system to be zoned throughout the missile complex and provides routing of any input to any output in the facility.
Hill said this setup will be beneficial at corporate events as everything from individual speakers to DJs can use the system. That said, the system also impresses those using the space as a personal rental.
“We actually installed the Ashly gear in here early because we all love music,” Hill said. ”It was in there before the bathrooms, even. And from the time we’ve spent with it, we’ve been incredibly impressed. The launch control center is about 3,000 square feet, and with the Ashly system it feels like you could have an entire club in there.”
For now, the space will remain an Airbnb rental for those looking for an extraordinary experience. It features design elements including colored LED lighting, a cantilevered bed, a bathroom with a fireplace, and a projection system.
