Part I. Historical Information
A. Physical History
1. Date of Erection:
Excavation for the MSCB began 6 April 1970. Structural concrete for the MSCB base slab was first poured on 18 June. The Beneficial Occupancy Date (the allocated time for completion of the MSCB "shell" and installation of tactical support equipment) was established as 1 January 1973. The MSCB was released for occupancy to the SAFSCOM Site Activation Team on 3 January of that year.
2. Architect(s):
Design of all MSR tactical facilities including the MSCB was accomplished by the Ralph M. Parsons Company. The Missile Site Radar itself was designed by the Raytheon Company.
3. Original and Subsequent Owners:
In August 1972, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers transferred site responsibility to the U.S. Army Safeguard System Command (SAFSCOM). On 3 September 1974, the U.S. Army Safeguard Command (SAFCMD) and the Ballistic Missile Defense Operations Agency (BMDOA) relieved SAFSCOM and were established as operational elements for the Safeguard system; SAFCMD soon assumed operation/maintenance responsibility. The U.S. Army Air Defense Command (ARADCOM), manned by Army Surveillance Battalion, Grand Forks, was the using command.
On 10 February 1976, this Safeguard facility was "abandoned in place" and put in inactive status. "Abandonment in Place" is defined as closure and seal-up of facilities to reduce potential hazards and keep care and custody to a minimum.
MSR facilities were salvaged in 1977 and all tactical facilities secured; a portion of the site was briefly utilized by the General Services Administration. In 1982, the nontechnical facilities were declared excess by the Department of Defense and given to the Department of Interior for interim use. In 1984, the U.S. Army reacquired the nontechnical facilities to provide the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) timely support in the event a decision was made to deploy a ballistic missile defense system. As of December 1991, the U.S. Army Strategic Defense Command obtained accountability for the property. It remains in inactive status under this organization, now known as the U.S. Army Space and Strategic Defense Command.
4. Builders, Contractors, Suppliers:
To help construct the facilities, consulting engineers and construction contractors, in addition to the aforementioned, were employed. These were Morrison-Knudsen and Associates, responsible for all MSR and PAR tactical facilities construction, including the MSCB. Their contract award totaled $137,858,850 and was dated 31 March 1970.