After nearly three years and more than 4 million work hours, Los Angeles International Airport’s consolidated car rental facility achieved a major construction milestone earlier this month: the handing over of the car-rental return building to 13 rental car brand tenants to build out their customer space.
The transition, which took place on June 2, marked the latest project phase for what will become the largest rental car facility in the world. With the infrastructure for the 6.3 million-square-foot building complex in place – including the concrete superstructure, elevators, escalators and landscaping – tenants can now construct their rental counters, waiting areas, office spaces and entry/exit booths.
It’s all in preparation for the facility’s opening, which is scheduled for summer of next year. A few weeks or months after that, the opening is set for the $2 billion, 2.25-mile automated people mover system that will connect the consolidated car rental facility with airport terminals.
“We are on the pathway to a completely reimagined airport that will streamline and elevate the LAX passenger experience,” said Justin Erbacci, chief executive for Los Angeles World Airports, the city agency that runs LAX. “The Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility is a key part of our vision of a world-class experience for those coming to Los Angeles, and the handover to rental car tenants is the next major step in making our plans a reality.”
Up until now, the $1 billion facility’s construction had been handled by LAX ConRAC Partners, a consortium of 11 companies. The general contractor is PCL Construction Services Inc., a unit of Edmonton, Alberta-based PCL Construction Enterprises. Downtown-based AC Martin Partners Inc. is one of the architects on the project. But now, much of the interior work will be handled by contractors for the car rental companies. The ready return/idle storage building is where customers will pick up and drop off their vehicles.
In 2018, LAWA signed 20-year base leases with options for five-year extensions with seven rental car companies to occupy the consolidated car rental facility. These included the “big three” companies: Parsippany, N.J.-based Avis Budget Group Inc. (which includes the Avis, Budget, Payless and Zip Car brands); St. Louis, Mo.-based Enterprise Holdings Inc. (which includes the Enterprise, Alamo and National brands); and Estero, Fla.-based Hertz Global Holdings Inc. (which includes the Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty brands). Also signing leases were Sixt Rent A Car, a unit of Munich, Germany-based Sixt and Fox Rent A Car, now a unit of Paris-based Europcar Mobility Group. Later this year, the handover to car rental brand operators of the facility’s other key structure – called the “quick turnaround building” – is set to take place. That’s where rental car operators will service their vehicles so they can be ready for the next round of rental customers.
And throughout the coming year, work will continue on access roads into and out of the
facility.
