Nike Missile Buildings Considered for Historical Status

A plan to demolish two buildings at the defunct Nike Missile Site near Lake Chabot may be put on hold following a meeting by the Parks, Recreation & Historical Commission (PRHC) last Thursday.

Alameda County’s General Services Agency, which manages the facilities on two hilltops proposed the demolition of two of the buildings back in October. Under consideration were a 66-square foot Radar Storage Shed and the 1,324-square foot Quarters building at the SF-31C site, which sits atop Fairmont Ridge. The Quarters building was used as a sleeping area for up to 10 soldiers and included a kitchen. Both have been vacant since 1974 along with most other buildings associated with the Nike compound. The site is currently visited by hikers and people walking their dogs from the staging area on Fairmont Drive.

In a unanimous decision, the five-member board decided to recommend preserving the buildings on the Nike Site. The vote will now go to the Board of Supervisors who would decide whether to preserve or demolish the buildings. 

“The Board would also decide how resources would be allocated to preserve and maintain the site if they decide to do so,” said Assistant Planning Director, Liz McElligott. “It is up to General Services Agency staff to determine when to take the proposed demolition of the buildings to the Board of Supervisors.”

There were 145 Nike missile sites built in the United States built during the Cold War. Castro Valley’s site was one of 12 in the Bay Area. These were surface-to-air defense systems that included three sections: a launch site where Atlas and Hercules-class missiles would be housed and potentially launched; an administrative site including radar systems, and a control site where the commands would be given. 

The Fairmont ridge site was chosen for the radar facilities because the location gave the site 360 degrees of radar coverage. These buildings are located near several tracking and search radar systems including the LOPAR (Low Power Acquisition Radar) and target tracking arrays the HIPAR radome that resembles a golf ball. Some of the radar facilities are currently used by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office for its Office of Emergency Services. 

Compared to the other Bay Area Nike sites, Castro Valley’s buildings and facilities have the best opportunity to be converted into a wider historical landmark because they are the most complete, according to PRHC District 1 board member Al Minard.

“The underground facilities are still intact and have a huge historical significance--making them important to being open to the public,” Minard said. “The only reason many of the buildings are not now open is that they are not ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] accessible, and the County or State might be reluctant to do that.” 

In its October 2021 report, the Archaeological/Historical Consultants firm said the two buildings in question do not appear to be eligible for the California Register of contributing elements of the potential Nike SF-31 historic district.

“The Radar Storage Shed is a later addition to the Corridor building and is architecturally unrelated to the other buildings on the base,” AHC said. “The Quarters building is badly dilapidated and lacks integrity of design and materials since much of the interior has been destroyed. It’s also the least significant of several barracks buildings that remain on the base.”

The PRHC’s vote to save these buildings puts demolition plans on hold. The matter is expected to be on the Board of Supervisors’ agenda for the first week in December.