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layout permits a less linear, more conveniently clustered configuration of museum buildings to be planned, and the adjacency of an area for future development is another advantage for Dulles.

Financing and Infrastructure - While differing a great deal in detail, the two offers are roughly comparable with respect to financing and infrastructure support. Though it needs substantiation, Virginia's reference to "an appropriate level of support" for lease payments seems advantageous. In short, however, neither proposal for infrastructure and financing is clearly superior.

Demographics and Metropolitan Access - Projections for long-term future growth in passenger use at each airport and for the future development of the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan region adjacent to each airport become increasingly speculative over the period two decades or more hence when the NASM Extension will be fully developed. Well before that time, it can be taken for granted that rail access to Dulles Airport will have been introduced. It is also virtually certain that Dulles will continue to hold its place as the preferred international gateway to Washington.

Miscellaneous Offerings - Both states offer a variety of scholarly and aerospace networks which parallel connections the Museum has already established.

Implications of Choice for Further Progress on Project - The Smithsonian should move in a principled and orderly fashion toward termination of the decision-making process with regard to these two sites; it would be undesirable to imply openness to additional offers from further bidders, indefinitely lengthening and complicating the choice. It is vital to close off that possibility firmly and conclusively. A reaffirmation of the Dulles choice would seem to have this effect, while the BWI choice might well immediately invite the entry of additional competitors.

Correspondence and other expressions of interest recently received were noted. The Regents considered a generous proposal from the City of Denver to use a portion of the facilities at Stapleton Airport. It was clear in discussion that the proposal was viewed as too late to be comprehensively considered, that decision-making should not be delayed for such purposes, that claimed savings of $100 million seemed unrealistic in view of questions about the suitablity of the facilities for museum purposes, and that a major concentration of the National Air and Space Museum's collection at such distance would require an essentially autonomous museum with its own, somewhat duplicative staff.

It was also noted that Governor Schaefer, in his letter of January 24, offered to provide an additional $10 million for the project at BWI. In discussion, it was pointed out that, while the Governor's action made the Maryland offer more attractive, the additional resources did not give BWI a decided advantage in terms of the projected completion of the project (total costs of which could be $330 million) when compared with Virginia's unspecified offer to match funds appropriated by the Federal government.

Transcription Notes:
this is a duplicate, probably of page 11 and 27.