California-based defense technology company Anduril Industries signed a lease at 4611 Airbase Road in Groveport, Ohio — a suburb of Columbus — to establish Arsenal-1, its first hyperscale manufacturing campus.
The deal was recognized as the lease of the year in Columbus as part of the 2026 CoStar Impact Awards, which were judged by real estate professionals familiar with the market.
In leasing the building, Anduril will create more than 4,000 jobs, the largest single job-creation project in Ohio's history. The company will already be one of the region's top employers and will add more indirect jobs in construction, supply chain and services as well.
According to a company news release, Anduril will use the building to develop autonomous systems and weapons for the United States and its allies.
"Arsenal-1 represents a step forward in how we manufacture the autonomous systems and weapons that our nation and our allies need to remain secure," said Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf. "By harnessing a world-class workforce and a scalable, software-driven approach to manufacturing, Arsenal-1 will set the standard for how we respond to the challenges of the future fight. Ohio's infrastructure and talent pool make it the ideal home for this historic effort to rebuild the arsenal of democracy."
About the project: The site is adjacent to two 12,000-foot runways at the Rickenbacker International Airport and includes a 75-acre private aircraft apron, giving Anduril the ability to test and ship large autonomous aircraft directly from the factory floor.
What the judges said: "The long-term impact of this project of this scope cannot be overestimated. The resulting boosts to local employment, housing and infrastructure will be measured for decades," said David Dean, senior brokerage administrator at Equity.
Matt Gregory, managing director at NAI Ohio Equities, said the lease is "by far one of the most transformational projects to ever occur" in central Ohio.
They made it happen: JLL's Brian March, executive managing director, and Dan Wendorf, executive managing director, represented the landlord of the building.