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Desertswisher t1_j4qo0wh wrote

Reply to comment by fireaunts in TIL about SubTropolis, a giant former limestone mine under Kansas City that was converted into the world’s largest underground business complex. The 1,100-acre complex is accessed through tunnels, and as of 2015, 1,600 people worked there. by corn_dog_22

What do they do down there for work?

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Gemmabeta t1_j4qp3bn wrote

A lot of it is archival storage. The constant cool temperature and low humidity means it's perfect for storing a lot of paper for cheap.

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Cetun t1_j4s4ai4 wrote

Just curious, won't all the people in there introduce moisture into the air? Does it just get absorbed by the walls or is there still air conditioning?

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Kumquats_indeed t1_j4squ55 wrote

I imagine the storage areas are compartmentalized and have high quality climate control so they only are occasionally exposed to people when they go into a specific room. This place sounds like something in the UK in this Tom Scott video

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weaselmaster t1_j4t3u90 wrote

It’s only 1.5 people per acre…

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dameon5 t1_j4v1wyu wrote

But if you squeeze them hard enough, there is still a lot of moisture they could introduce...

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Parlorshark t1_j4v41nx wrote

Like in an industrial juicer?

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dameon5 t1_j4v4goo wrote

Sort of, but less contained if you really want those juices flowing.

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fireaunts t1_j4qp1za wrote

they work in the office at a packaging supply company. the company sells cardboard and tape to other companies. boring tbh...but there used to be a massive orchid collection down there with thousands of rare orchids grown in artificial light. the precise temps down there made it ideal for orchids. but the flowers were killed by smoke from a fire lit near a ventilation shaft up on the surface. luckily i dont think anyone was hurt

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Setter_sws t1_j4rwogq wrote

We have one in Springfield that is used for cheese.

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TheTimDavis t1_j4sh386 wrote

When I worked for Kansas City Repertory theatre this is where all the costumes and props were stored. It's the only time I saw old theatre costumes that didn't stink.

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SirMikan t1_j4rwszb wrote

Biggest cheese cave in the US at least. Kraft is a massive tenant there.

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CassandraVindicated t1_j4u9gf8 wrote

I was going to say, I want the cheese they store there. I believe the US government also keeps cheese there.

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CorgiMonsoon t1_j4tfnn0 wrote

It’s been a while since I’ve worked there, so they may have moved, but the Kansas City Repertory Theatre and UMKC Theatre Department used to have prop storage there.

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OsamaBinNoodles t1_j4tz5y6 wrote

It’s one of the places the govt uses for storing official documents such as immigration documents. I’ve been down there a couple times, we just call it the caves.

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