Axios Columbus

January 31, 2025
Happy Friday! We hope you've got exciting weekend plans ahead of you.
- And if that includes watching 12 hours of "Groundhog Day" at the Gateway... godspeed.
βοΈ Today's weather: Rainy, with highs in the 50s.
π Happy early birthday (again) to our Axios Columbus members Rosie Doughty, Jennifer Aylward and Otto Beatty!
Today's newsletter is 874 words β a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: Anduril promises major job growth
Two weeks after Anduril Industries announced plans for a $1 billion, 5-million-square-foot production facility near Rickenbacker airport, more development details have emerged.
Why it matters: The autonomous weapons manufacturer will receive hundreds of millions of dollars in state incentives.
- In return, the company promises to create thousands of local jobs over the next decade at the site dubbed "Arsenal-1."
Follow the money: Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Development announced Monday a 2.594 percent, 30-year Job Creation Tax Credit that will save Anduril an estimated $450 million.
- That's the second-largest tax credit of its kind in Ohio history, just shy of the $475 million package awarded to Intel.
- Pickaway County will also request $70 million from the state's All Ohio Future Fund to help with site prep.
The fine print: The incentives deal is still being finalized, but a Department of Development spokesperson confirmed that Anduril has committed to creating 4,008 full-time jobs by the end of 2035 that will generate over $530 million in new annual payroll.
- Anduril pledges to invest $910 million toward the site by the end of 2035, and will be required to maintain operations there until 2058.
- The company will employ a few hundred people to start and gradually ramp up production.
Between the lines: The deal was based on a "very conservative calculation" that Arsenal-1 will be a net positive, says J.P. Nauseef, president and CEO of JobsOhio, the state's private economic development corporation.
- Nauseef tells Axios that 98% of JobsOhio incentive deals comply and meet commitments.
How it works: Funding and reimbursement are doled out at specific milestones "so we don't overexpose ourselves upfront," Nauseef tells Axios.
- State and private partners are willing to "find ways to help them be successful," but will pursue legal action if those benchmarks aren't hit.
- "We will not be taken advantage of," Nauseef says.
2. Why Anduril picked Columbus
Anduril spent a year examining 400 sites across the Lower 48 states before narrowing the venue to Ohio, Arizona and Texas.
What they found: In Columbus, the company gains a unique mix of amenities and geographical bonuses along with the $450 million welcome package.
- Proximity to Rickenbacker offers runway space certified for military cargo and airlift, plus broader access to the region's defense, aerospace, national security and Air Force industry.
- Columbus' centrally located supply chain has better ground, rail and air access than most areas of the country.
- The Intel project paid dividends β Ohio leaders' "history of working with companies that they're bringing here for large projects" also contributed, SVP of strategy Zach Mears tells Axios.
Zoom in: Anduril's campus will mostly sit south of Rickenbacker and just east of a group of nearby warehouses and distribution centers, per a map shared with Axios.
Between the lines: Intel's semiconductor factory is taking many years to build, but Anduril expects a much quicker production timeline.
- The company is motivated to move quickly because of tangible commitments.
- It already has "committed orders" and "clear production contracts that are driving delivery and timeliness," Mears tells us.
What's next: Mears says the company aims to start delivering its Fury autonomous air vehicle out of an existing building as early as July 2026.
- Next will come Barracuda cruise missiles, Roadrunner autonomous twin turbojet vehicles and more.
- Production is expected to increase from dozens in the first few years to eventually thousands over the next decade.
3. π’ There's no shortage of office space


Even as companies like AEP and JPMorgan Chase call workers back to the office, our region's vacant office space continues to climb.
State of play: Office vacancy is at an all-time high of 20.4% across the country's top 50 metro areas, per a new Moody's report.
- Columbus is even higher at 21.3%.
4. What to do this weekend
βΈοΈ Let it go at Disney on Ice, featuring characters from "Frozen" and "Encanto" at Nationwide Arena.
- Showtimes all weekend long. $17-90.
π₯ Laugh out loud during "Hot Staff" at Shadowbox Live, a sizzling sketch comedy and music show highlighting the theater's greatest hits.
- 7:30pm tonight (nearly sold out) and 2pm Sunday. $52-54.
πͺ Take the family to the Columbus Winter Carnival, featuring kids activities and characters from "Bluey" and "Paw Patrol" at the Franklin County Fairgrounds.
- 11am-5pm Saturday, 4100 Columbia St., Hilliard. Free, but tickets ($5-6) or passes ($15-22) are required for many activities.
π¨βπ³ Prepare a Chinese feast and celebrate the Lunar New Year with a group dining experience at The Kitchen.
- 5pm Saturday, 231 E Livingston Ave. $100.
π΅ Call dibs on tickets to Kelsea Ballerini at the Schottenstein Center.
- 7pm Saturday. Resale tickets started around $120 as of yesterday.
π Slither over to the Columbus Reptile Expo.
- 10am-3pm Sunday. 3300 Refugee Road. $5, cash only. Kids under 11 free!
5. π An unexpected sex ed lesson
Looking to spice things up for Valentine's Day? Bring your date to COSI.
- ... yes, seriously!
The intrigue: The science center is embracing the adults-only aspect of its monthly "after dark" series with a "uniquely steamy" February event.
- From "animal mating behaviors to human attraction and relationships," The Science of Sex will "explore the fascinating biology behind intimacy."
- It promises "hands-on experiments and engaging demonstrations."
If you go: 7-10pm Feb. 13. $20 online, $30 at the door.
Stop by: Other upcoming "after dark" events include a Renaissance Fair in March, then Cocktails and Chemistry in April.
Thanks to Tyler Buchanan for editing today's newsletter.
Our picks:
π§₯ Alissa has officially decided it's sweatshirt season again. So long, coat!
π Andrew is really looking forward to "Severance" each week.
πΈ Tyler wants a $450 million tax break.
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