Columbus’s new makerspace will officially take residence at the Columbus Municipal Airport in August.
The Columbus Board of Aviation Commissioners approved a lease agreement Tuesday with Columbus Propeller, Inc. for a makerspace that will be located on airport property.
The board agreed on lease terms for the makerspace in April, and airport Director Brian Payne said that only minor changes have been made.
The property, known as buildings 45 and 49, is owned by the airport and currently leased to Cummins, Inc, which is leaving the space. While airport officials previously said that Cummins would be out by July, the company is now staying in the space through the end of this month.
Payne said the lease dates have been modified to reflect that change.
“It was discovered on the lease paperwork that the end of the lease for Cummins was the end of July, not the beginning,” said Bryan Rushton with the makerspace group. “Because of the various remediation work that they had going, they opted to maintain possession for the duration of the lease. They have left the building in very good shape for us, well beyond their obligation.”
The lease runs from the beginning of August 2021 through the end of July 2024, with two one-year options to renew. It then continues on a year-to-year basis.
As previously discussed, the terms also provide a 100% rent abatement for the first six months, then 50% abatement for a year. After that, the rent will be $3,000 monthly until the lease ends.
The lease runs from the beginning of August 2021 through the end of July 2024, with two one-year options to renew. It then continues on a year-to-year basis.
Columbus Propeller has been officially incorporated and is working on getting certified as a 501(c)(3), Rushton said. The Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce’s 501(c)(3) “may still serve as the fiscal agent for the time being,” but the lease agreement is with Columbus Propeller.
Currently, several subteams are working on different planning components as the makerspace prepares to take possession. The makerspace group is also creating a board for the organization, and Rushton will serve as president initially.
“We are also looking at hosting a 3D printer assembly workshop this fall that we are pretty excited about, along with several other events to introduce people to the space,” he added.
The Propeller website describes a makerspace as “a collaborative workspace for creating, learning, and innovating, equipped with high-tech to no-tech tools like 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines, soldering irons, wood working tools, welding equipment, and even sewing machines.”
However, Chamber of Commerce President Cindy Frey said that the term makerspace is limiting, so they now prefer to call it an “innovation center.”
“We are developing plans for programming around making, innovation, technical skills training, as well as business start up development and acceleration,” she said.
Rushton said that support for the makerspace from partners, individuals and the community has been “overwhelming.”
“We’re more hopeful than ever that this is going to be a terrific asset to the community for years to come,” he said.
Where to learn more:
A group of stakeholders, including makers and representatives from colleges on Columbus’s Airpark campus, are forming a new makerspace or “innovation center” in Columbus.
More information about Columbus Propeller is available at columbuspropeller.com.
