How's this for a compound?

[Lilburner]

A 60,000 ft2 former prison.




A few features:
8" Precast Concrete Construction on Walls, Ceiling, and Floor (This facility is designed to withstand an F5 tornado)
4" Water Line
3-phase Electric
Emergency generator
Wet fire sprinkler system

The downside? It's in Colorado.

https://charlotte.craigslist.org/bfd/d/owner-financing60000-sf/6550727756.html

[RWS]

It's a prison.  The central building is the guard area.  There is a nice garden area to the top of picture.  It would need fenced in.  Think of how much power this building would take to operate.  You would need to cover the roof area with solar panels and install solar water heating.  Then you would need an additional solar panel array to fill the other areas around the building.  I don't think you could afford the building even if it was given to you??

[Lilburner]

Actually wasn't thinking of just one person.

More like a collective.

One person couldn't even guard it.

If it were in GA, I'd go in for 20 ways. Or sell cells like a condo.

[Lilburner]

Here's a news story with a video blurb.

Sounds like the downside would be proximity to town. EVERYONE would know what to were doing, and everyone would head there if something happened.

http://www.9news.com/mobile/article/money/business/second-life-for-prison-in-brush/413715680

[RWS]

Looks like they already have a garden spot bottom center right beside the exercise yard.  Yes, it would take a pretty big group living too close together.  My plan is to have several vegetable gardens, storage building, power building, mill building (corn & wheat grinding), kitchen, black smith/furrier inside the gate.  Built into the fence wall will be a trading post to trade food & tools & labor.  Each community member will live outside the fence within walking distance.  Each one is independent.  They will produce or die as a result of their choices and preparedness level.  I have started to work with a few neighbors to improve their  level of preparedness.  Ultimately they are responsible for themselves.  Hopefully by working together now we can pull together for mutual support when the time arrives.

[Gunner]

Depending on the condition, an old school or an old prison would make the perfect setting for a MAG.  There are cooking facilities, work areas (shops), the yards, plus separate living areas, … not to mention … hospital facilities, libraries, rec areas... the list goes on... … it would just take finding the right spot and working to make a MAG work out.

[upacreek]

NONE of you watch The Walking Dead?     This has been done.  It didn't turn out well for them.

The link doesn't work anymore either.

[Lilburner]

Well they were doing fine til a tank showed up. I think you have to draw the line at what you're fortifying against somewhere. 

[ChristianJ]

IF (and that's a tremendous, enormous IF) you can get people to buy into cells, like a condo like Lilburner mentioned, it could make sense. But you'd have to have a slick marketing presentation, a healthy advertising budget, and connections to wannabe preppers with more money than sense. It's possible, but likely not worth it.

[Lilburner]

Not seriously planning anything, but did some searching on different kinds of properties for sale and tossed it around as a brain exercise.

As far as selling people on the idea of a prison, living in cells would be problematic. They have the advantage of security and location, though, with many being rural or remote. They have security built in, and most have good agricultural opportunities.

A much better sell from the structural standpoint would be a school. Even rudimentary classrooms could be transformed into nice-ish (under the circumstances) apartments. You still have all the great facilities like commercial kitchens, and most have some land, though not as much as a prison.

But schools almost by definition are designed to be conveniently accessed. Kind of a deal-breaker. Even in rural areas, the schools tend to be in town.

Ultimately, neither would probably be good for developing a self-sustaining community ahead of time with buy-in or rent.