Ohio leaders rally to relocate NASA's headquarters to the Buckeye State

CLEVELAND — Eighty years ago, local leaders successfully advocated for a center in Northeast Ohio to study all aspects of aircraft propulsion. That became what's now known as the NASA Glenn Research Center.

Now, the push is on again as a unified group of leaders across the state re-emphasized their pitch for NASA to further invest in Ohio by relocating its headquarters.

Over the past several months, it feels like just about every Ohio newsmaker has lobbied the White House to move NASA's headquarters when its lease is up in 2028.

"They're well aware of it," Rep. Max Miller said. "I was just at the White House two weeks ago and I brought this up to [President Trump] and he is well-aware of the project. This is very real."

Both Texas and Florida have also expressed interest in acquiring NASA's headquarters.

"Florida and Texas can be great places to launch spacecrafts into the stars, but Ohio is home to the innovation," Sen Husted said. "That's what happens at NASA Glenn."

Between Glenn Research Center and the Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, a NASA Glenn spokesperson confirmed that they employ 1,458 civil servants.

NASA's website states that 2,463 people work at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. Former NASA Glenn employees told News 5 that most of those positions in Washington, D.C. are managerial, clerical, and involve lobbying on Capitol Hill.

"NASA Glenn Research Center is involved in every mission, every discovery, and every division of NASA," Baiju Shah, Greater Cleveland Partnership president and CEO. "Nothing leaves this planet without NASA Glenn being a part of it."

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"We want NASA to grow here," Gov. Mike DeWine added.

"On behalf of all the mayors and elected officials that make up the 14 counties in Team NEO, whether Democrat or Republican have joined together in this effort — We are ready, Ohio is ready," Team NEO CEO Matt Dolan said.

Senator Husted acknowledged that it's possible the federal government might break up NASA's headquarters instead of picking a single option.

"We want all of it here, that's what we're trying to do," Sen. Husted said. "But we recognize there could be another decision where parts of it come here and parts of it go somewhere else."

The one entity not actively participating in this roundtable event: NASA. A spokesperson at NASA Glenn said they appreciate all the Ohio support.

In a statement to News 5 earlier this year, a spokesperson at NASA said:

“The NASA Headquarters building lease is up in 2028, and the agency is looking at options to lease a different facility in the Washington, D.C. area. NASA does not have plans to build a new headquarters."

However, in March, NASA and every other federal agency were required to submit plans to the federal government about how they plan to downsize, including “any proposed relocations of agency bureaus and offices from Washington, D.C. and the National Capital Region to less-costly parts of the country.”

News 5 has requested a copy of the plan NASA submitted and has not received it yet.

"If you’re making $80,000/year working in Washington D.C., your quality of life and your ability to make ends meet pales in comparison to how far that money could go here," Sen. Husted said. "Ohio is a better value proposition for the federal government than Washington D.C. or most places around this country."

It’s not clear when a decision could be made on NASA’s future in Washington, D.C.