Upon consulting with an engineer and some contractors, Mr. Sims decided to widen the entry space since it was going to be completely rebuilt and reinforced anyway. Things were really coming together. The hatch looked brand new. But before descending, he took a couple more precautions.
First, he had the crew install an electrical wire to power a light bulb inside the shelter. He also had them install a black pipe that would serve as an air tube.
The First Step
First step he took was consulting with engineers and contractors about the restoration project. They advised him to rebuild the upper entrance and the spiral staircase in order to secure the entry space. Once the entry and stairway were solid, he could think about working inside of the actual shelter. To start, the upper entrance would need a concrete pour. This alone could cost up to $2,000. Before appealing to GoFundMe, Mr. Sims posted images and a request to Reddit. His research discovered that there may be 15 to 20 bomb shelters in the Tucson area.
He announced that he would be restoring his. For help, he asked, “Does anyone know of others that are still in decent shape?” Hundreds of responses came in. His Tucson Reddit page attracted so much attention the story spread to local newspapers. And now, here he was, stabilizing the entry with rebar and concrete and anticipating the day he could finally climb down the stairs and see his very own bomb shelter.
Working Through a Brutal Summer
The project continued through the peak of Tucson heat. Oppressive triple-digit temps plagued the workers day in and day out. They set up a tarp to protect themselves from the harsh rays.
Another safety measure included installing a cardboard Sonotube. This secured the area they were working on to prevent collapse or damage to the surrounding area.
All Systems Go!
Finally! The day he had been waiting for. With the hatch secured, reinforced and rebuilt, entering the underground vault was now safer than a Fantasyland ride at Disney. There was nothing preventing him from climbing on in. He felt like a little boy again, playing in the backyard. He jumped on in. But, honestly, he held some doubts and fears of a big letdown.
“I kind of thought it might have been a real cheap job like a storm drain just thrown in to the yard with the little bit of the steps of something,” he admitted, “but it turned out to be a lot cooler than that.”
The Tip of the Iceberg
This project was going to require a lot more work. The spiral staircase was totally rusted out and unusable. Fifty years of neglect had taken its toll.
The stairway would have to be completely redone. That’s okay. Mr. Sims loved his new project and looked forward to restoring it to museum-grade authenticity.