Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has announced that the Consolidated Rent-A-Car (ConRAC) facility has officially been topped off, following the final pouring of 180,000m3 of concrete.
“The Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility will be a game-changer for our airport when it opens in 2023, providing a streamlined rental car experience for the hundreds of thousands of travelers who rent cars each year,” commented Justin Erbacci, chief executive officer, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA).
“We thank all of the craft workers and project team members who have tallied more than two and a half million work-hours to reach this significant achievement as we build a better LAX.”
First started in 2019, the ConRAC facility is set to become the largest structure of its kind in the world, with a scheduled completion date of 2023. The topping off took place at the Idle Storage building, one of three buildings that make up the 6,400,000ft2 site. With LAX becoming the second-busiest rental car market out of all domestic airports in 2019, the facility will enable travelers to easily rent vehicles.
The new facility, sat adjacent to the 405 freeway, will consist of multiple rental companies that are presently scattered across the airport’s footprint, and will be connected to the LAX Central Terminal Area by the Automated People Mover train system, that is currently under construction. Upon completion, 3,200 daily shuttle trips to rental areas will no longer be required.
Developed through a public-private partnership (P3) with LAX ConRAC Partners (LAXCP), the facility will become storage for 18,000 rental vehicles, and a Quick Turn Around building on the same site will be responsible for fueling, car washing, oil changes and tire rotation.
“Topping off at the Idle Storage building represents the latest achievement in a series of significant construction milestones for our team,” said Alan Kuysters, project director for the design and construction of the ConRAC facility. “It is rewarding to see our team’s hard work and dedication come together once again in such a significant moment for the final building concrete pour.”
The ConRAC facility makes up part of the airport’s US$5.5bn Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP), which seeks to upgrade access to LAX, provide new pick-up/drop-off options for travelers and provide connections to regional transportation.
The ConRAC facility also aims to achieve a required Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver rating by introducing initiatives such as native drought-tolerant landscaping, reclaimed water usage and a solar farm that is estimated to produce 8,400MWh per year.
