Is Burning Man planning a permanent community?
http://www.sfgate.com/aboutsfgate/article/Is-Burning-Man-planning-a-permanent-community-6478876.php
Rumors are flying around the Internet this week that the Burning Man organization is building a permanent community, and a New York Magazine article adds credibility to the buzz. While the story says festival leadership known as "the Borg" is secretive about specifics (SFGate reached out to the Burning Man press office and hasn't heard back), it's no secret that they want to purchase a 4,000-acre piece of property only 10 miles from Black Rock.
Fly Ranch is a geological hot spot with vernal pools, 23 hot and cold springs, a lake naturally heated to 104 degrees and a manmade geyser that erupts continuously. The Borg has toured this land with interest in buying it over the past several years, and Burning Man blogger John Curley wrote about one of these tours in a 2009 blog post....
"The Borg" actually attempted to buy the property in 2005 and again a few years ago, "but the asking price was around $11 million to $12 million, and they only raised about a half-million dollars," New York Magazine reports.
But now Burning Man is better equipped to make a move as New York Magazine reports that landowner Todd Jasick is open to offers and wealthy investors —including Sergey Brin and hotelier Chip Conley — have supposedly toured the property with interest in helping fund the purchase. The Magazine also reported that Tesla CEO Elon Musk checked out the land but his media department came out with a statement saying this wasn't true.
They could have the best of both worlds. There's an old mining town called Empire near the playa. It has been empty since US Gypsum shut down a few years ago.