Step 1: Fund building.

It is any at the same time it isn't. Plus, id rather not have to rely on this project getting off the ground because my father has died, its just an option im putting out there.

Absolutely. We want this project to be able to stand on it's own.

I'm still building my cash reserves up, but by the time this is expected to be shovel ready it should be up to a financially relevant amount.

I'm not sure about myself actually, I'm unlikely to have relevance financially due to the path I seem to be taking ( Historian/History Teacher ). But if we did go ahead with the town idea, it might be possible to set up an online tutoring service for various education levels, earn a bit of money that way.

The potential for making money off of a project like this is mostly, I think, based around what drew all of you to this idea: A bunker full of geeks would be awesome, a town full of geeks with a bunker as its central structure would be even more awesome. People would want to buy real estate around there and you'd have a lot of tourists.

As for making money to actually GET there? Well, I can't think of anything, and it is my feeling that you are probably fucked. Try to convince a venture capitalist that this would be profitable, maybe?

Financing it could be incredibly easy if you do it right.

You're effectively making what is some companies wet dream. A large numerical concentration of people with similar interests who have high amounts of disposable or discretionary income who all belong to a market that is difficult to advertise to.

Rent out advertising and product placement. Plenty of companies who would love to be able to advertise there after all. Games Workshop, WotC, etc.

I have urge to say we should get GW to treat us more then a simple LGS, otherwise it may not be so fun due to the various rules for vendors.