In the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area stands one of the eleven former Nike missile sites that protected the Bay Area from 1955 to 1974.

In 2022, a proposal was submitted to demolish five buildings at the former SF-31C Integrated Fire Control (IFC) Area on Fairmont Ridge, located between Castro Valley and San Leandro.

After reviewing the proposal, the Alameda County Historical Advisory Board determined that the former Nike site represented an important part of Alameda County's Cold War history. The demolition request was not approved, and funding was instead dedicated to rehabilitating the five remaining historic structures.

Today, the former HIPAR radar building continues to serve the community as a telecommunications facility supporting a variety of public service agencies.

Although I live only about 5.6 miles from the former SF-31 site, I was unaware of the preservation project until an Alameda County Historical Advisory Board member visited Historic Nike Missile Site SF-88 in the Marin Headlands to learn how an operational Nike site has been preserved and interpreted for the public. During that visit, the Board member spoke with one of the Nike veteran volunteer docents, who later shared information about the Fairmont Ridge restoration project and provided the Board member's contact information.

After making contact with the Board member, I learned more about the ongoing preservation efforts at the former SF-31C site and the significance of this historic restoration project.

On the morning of July 31, 2026, my wife and I made the short drive to Fairmont Ridge and walked approximately one mile up the trail to the former SF-31C Integrated Fire Control Area. It was a beautiful morning, and the trail was busy with hikers and dog walkers enjoying the scenic surroundings. The site is located within the Fairmont Ridge Staging Area of Lake Chabot Regional Park, part of the East Bay Regional Park District, just off Fairmont Drive near Interstate 580.