According to a report in Wednesday’s issue of the Columbus Dispatch, the state of Ohio has made a preliminary incentive offer to PlanetSpace to lure the venture to establish operations in the state. (See previous coverage of Ohio’s plans to get PlanetSpace to establish a landing site and/or manufacturing facility near Columbus.) Details about the offer weren’t disclosed, but the article said the state was proposing a “multimilliondollar package of tax credits, grants and other incentives”, some of which would require matching contributions from the city of Columbus and Franklin County, where Columbus and Rickenbacker International Airport, the proposed landing site for PlanetSpace’s Silver Dart vehicle, are located. Chirinjeev Kathuria, chairman of PlanetSpace, said he hoped to have a deal in place in 60 days to keep the company on a schedule that would have a vehicle ready to fly by late 2008 (which seems like a very aggressive schedule, given the company’s current standing.) Kathuria also hinted that “one other state is interested in talking to us”.
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