Conversation with Chris Bannon about Biosphe2

I just completed a conversation with Chris Bannon, the general manager
for Biosphere 2. It seems that Mr. Ed Bass has spent about $300 million
supporting two groups that claimed that they would be able to make
Biosphere 2 financial self sufficient and is uninterested in trying
another time. He intends to sell all the property. This includes about
2000 acres outside of the campus and about 200 acres with 100 buildings
which contains the campus and Biosphere 2. They would like to sell the
campus with Biosphere for about $15 million or the whole bundle for
about $50 million. They seem to flexible on price depending on if the
Biosphere were to be used for research (lower cost) or stripped and
reused for something else.

We talked about what options they are pursuing right now:

* Trying to get NASA to buy it as an already established facility
rather than creating their own. (not considered likely)
* Sell the student dorms and educational facilities.
* Sell the land to somebody who wants land to build on and would
tear down everything and build something else.
* I also received the impression that if somebody could show that
they had the finances ($5 million/year) to maintain and do
research that Mr. Bass could be talked into leasing the campus and
Biosphere for a dollar a year.

The most likely seems to be somebody who wants the educational
facilities. However all of those who have expressed interest do not
want the Biosphere. Chris felt that any of these people would be happy
to lease or sell the Biosphere for nothing to whoever could show that
they had the finances to operate it.

We talked some about SSI finances. Mostly him confirming his opinion
that $5 million/year is way out of our league. I have a hard time
seeing how they can do any of the sell options listed above. Most of
the organizations expressing interest were probably just testing the
water. Chris said that he would keep us informed if something came up
that we would be interested in. They will be keeping the facility open
and operational until a buyer is found. At the moment all we can do is
wait. SSI may still end up as the last, least liked, but only option
available. After all if he is going to pay to keep it operational
somebody might as well be using it.

Mitchell James
mejames@...
www.InnerTransit.org (Home base for Collaborative Engineering on the web)