Los Angeles International Airport has achieved the next major milestone in the development of its Consolidated Rent-A-Car (ConRAC) facility – handing over the Ready Return/Idle Storage building to rental car tenants to build out their customer space.
Once complete in summer 2023, the ConRAC will become the largest rental car facility in the world and will form a major part of the airport’s Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP), which includes a 3.6km electric train system that will transport travelers in and out of the Central Terminal Area, connecting them to new off-site parking facilities, regional light rail transportation and the ConRAC facility.
“We are on the pathway to a completely reimagined airport that will streamline and elevate the LAX passenger experience,” said Justin Erbacci, chief executive officer at Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA). “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.”
With the infrastructure for the building in place, including elevators, escalators, hardscape and landscape, tenants will now be able to come in and make it their own. The tenant improvement work that will get underway includes building out the customer experience spaces, waiting areas, office spaces and entry/exit booths.
“The Ready Return/Idle Storage building turn-over for tenant improvements is a particularly noteworthy milestone for our team,” explained Karl Schaefer, LAX ConRAC Partners (LAXCP) project executive. “After more than four million work hours, this achievement brings us one key step closer to opening the largest rental car facility in the world at LAX.”
The ConRAC facility covers approximately 585,000m2 and is comprised of the Ready Return/Idle Storage building, where customers will pick up and drop off their vehicles, an automated people mover (APM) train station and a quick turnaround building, where the rental car vehicles are serviced. A total of 178,000m3 of concrete was poured to complete the structures, making this the second-largest concrete building in the USA, behind only the Pentagon.
The Ready Return/Idle Storage building can hold 18,000 vehicles, including rentals and employee parking. The five-story structure will house five rental car companies representing 13 brands including Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company of Los Angeles (Enterprise, Alamo, National), The Hertz Corporation (Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty), Avis Budget Car Rental (Avis, Budget, Payless, Zip Car), Sixt Rent a Car (Sixt), and Fox Rent A Car and DR Car Rental (Fox, EuropCar).
In the coming year, work will continue on access roads into and out of the facility, including the extension of Concourse Way from where it currently ends at Century Boulevard to Arbor Vitae Street. Later this year, the quick turnaround building will be handed over to rental car tenants for fit-out.
All images courtesy of Los Angeles World Airports.
