The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority held a ribbon cutting for the $316 million consolidated Rental Car Center Jan. 15 in anticipation of the Jan. 20 grand opening. The center will house most of the rental car companies serving the airport, from national brands to local, independent and small business rental car companies, in one central location off Pacific Highway.
“The new Rental Car Center is the latest example of our commitment to optimizing the passenger experience at San Diego International Airport,” said San Diego County Regional Airport Authority board chair Robert Gleason. “This facility also provides environmental benefits to the community while strengthening the airport’s role as an economic engine for the entire region.”
Fourteen brands will operate out of the building.
The new facility replaces the group of buildings on Harbor Drive that have for years housed most rental car companies serving the airport. In a related change, all rental car customers will be carried to and from the terminals in 16 new alternative-fuel shuttles owned and operated by the Airport Authority. This fleet replaces the approximately 81 shuttles now operated by the rental car companies.
The facility is designed to dramatically reduce rental car traffic on North Harbor Drive and the number of shuttle buses circulating around the airport. The $316 million project was completed within budget.
Design and construction of the Rental Car Center was funded by customer facility charges, meaning that the rental companies pay a fee added to the transactions. The building, which is a candidate for LEED Silver certification, also features three new works of public art, with a fourth expected to debut later this year.
More than $186 million in construction contracts had been awarded to local businesses on the project, with $70.4 million to small businesses. Approximately 4,600 jobs were generated during construction.
The center, which accommodates up to 5,400 cars, stands 66 feet high and sits on 2 million square feet over 25.5 acres. More than 325 tons of structural steel was used in constructing the facility. Approximately 100,000 cubic yards of concrete were poured by more than 11,000 concrete trucks during construction of the facility. Two customer lobbies feature restroom facilities and transportation to each floor level.
About 1.1 million airport rental car transactions occur each year at San Diego International Airport, with 14 percent of all arriving passengers renting a vehicle. The average length of a rental car transaction in San Diego is 4.6 days.
