LAX Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility
| LAX Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility (ConRAC) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Rendering of the LAX ConRAC | |||||||||||
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| General information | |||||||||||
| Town or city | Los Angeles, California | ||||||||||
| Country | United States | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 33°57′00″N 118°22′30″W / 33.9500°N 118.3750°W | ||||||||||
| Groundbreaking | September 12, 2019 | ||||||||||
| Topped-out | July 12, 2021 | ||||||||||
| Opened | October 9, 2024 | ||||||||||
| Cost | US$1 billion | ||||||||||
| Owner | Los Angeles World Airports | ||||||||||
| Technical details | |||||||||||
| Material | Concrete | ||||||||||
| Floor count | 5 | ||||||||||
| Floor area | 5,719,000 sq ft (531,300 m2) | ||||||||||
| Design and construction | |||||||||||
| Architecture firm |
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| Main contractor | PCL Construction | ||||||||||
| Designations | LEED Gold | ||||||||||
| Known for | 2nd largest concrete building in the United States | ||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||
| Parking | 21,000 rental vehicles | ||||||||||
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The LAX Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility (or ConRAC) is an under-construction consolidated rental car facility for the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The first companies began operating out of the facility in October 2024. When it is fully operational in 2025, it will consolidate rental car operations currently spread across the surrounding area of LAX into one location adjacent to the 405 freeway. The new facility is expected to store up to 21,000 rental vehicles.
History
[edit]
The Los Angeles International Airport Consolidated Rent-A-Car (LAX ConRAC) facility is one of the major components of the airport's US$5.5 billion Landside Access Modernization Program, along with the LAX Automated People Mover (APM).[1] The $1 billion facility will consolidate rental car operations currently spread across the Westchester neighborhood of Los Angeles. Before the construction of the ConRAC, these rental car companies operated 3,200 daily shuttle trips around the Central Terminal Area and on streets around LAX.[2]
The facility was built by a public–private partnership known as LAX ConRAC Partners, a consortium of 11 companies led by PCL Construction.[3] Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the operator of LAX, awarded the consortium a $2 billion contract, with the construction and operations phases of the facility each costing about $1 billion.[4]
A ceremonial groundbreaking was held on September 12, 2019.[5] The 5,719,000 sq ft (531,300 m2) facility will be the largest rental car facility in the world when it opens.[4][6] The facility was topped out July 12, 2021.[7][8] The project used a total of 233,000 cubic yards (178,000 m3) of concrete, which at the time made it the second-largest concrete building in the United States, behind the Pentagon.[9][10] The ConRAC facility has been designed to achieve a LEED Gold rating with sustainable elements including native drought-tolerant landscaping, reclaimed water usage and a solar farm generating approximately 8,400 megawatt hours annually.[11]
The focal point of the ConRAC is the five-story ready/return building, at which customers pick up and return vehicles. This building also includes a station on the LAX Automated People Mover line.[3] There is also a quick turnaround (QTA) building used for the light maintenance of vehicles such as fuelling, car washing, oil changes and tire rotation. By keeping operations within the footprint of the facility, the QTA building will help in minimizing traffic congestion on the roads.[7]
In 2018, LAWA signed 20-year base leases with rental car companies to use the ConRAC.[3] The ready/return building was handed over to tenants on June 6, 2022.[10] Contractors for the car rental companies will construct their rental counters, waiting areas, office spaces and entry/exit booths.[3]
As of June 2022[update], work was underway to build access roads into and out of the facility and complete the Quick Turn Around building.[3] As of January 2024[update], the ConRAC was expected to fully open in April 2025.[12]
The Avis Budget Group was the first to begin operations at the facility on October 9, 2024.[13]
Operations
[edit]The facility will host five rental car companies representing 13 brands, including Avis Budget Group (which operates Avis Car Rental, Budget Rent a Car, Payless Car Rental and Zipcar), Enterprise Holdings (which operates Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent a Car and National Car Rental), Europcar (which operates Europcar and Fox Rent A Car), The Hertz Corporation (which operates Hertz Rent A Car, Dollar Rent A Car and Thrifty Car Rental), and Sixt.[10] Smaller rental car companies who choose not to relocate will pick up their customers curbside on the west side of the ConRAC facility.[11]
People Mover hours and frequency
[edit]The APM is expected to operate 24 hours a day. During peak hours (9 a.m. to 11 p.m.) trains will arrive every two minutes. From the LAX ConRAC, it will take 10 minutes to reach the West Central Terminal Area (CTA) station.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ Sharp, Steven (August 3, 2022). "LAX unveils new automated people mover's first train cars". Urbanize Los Angeles. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
- ^ Mackey, Ashley (October 15, 2021). "New People Mover train coming to LAX expected to revolutionize travel". ABC7 Los Angeles. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Fine, Howard (June 13, 2022). "LAX Consolidated Car Rental Facility Construction Reaches Key Milestone". Los Angeles Business Journal. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- ^ a b Fine, Howard (August 2, 2021). "LAX Makes Headway on $14.5 Billion Modernization". Los Angeles Business Journal. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
- ^ "LAX Breaks Ground On Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility". KFI. City News Service (Los Angeles). September 12, 2019. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- ^ "LAMP Final EIR Addendum 2" (PDF). Los Angeles World Airports. October 31, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- ^ a b "LAX's $2bn consolidated Rent-A-Car facility topped off". Airport Technology. July 13, 2021. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- ^ "LAX Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility Celebrates Concrete Topping Off". Los Angeles World Airports (Press release). July 12, 2021. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- ^ Fine, Howard (April 5, 2020). "Work Begins at LAX". Los Angeles Business Journal. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
- ^ a b c "LAX Consolidated Rent-a-Car Facility Achieves Tenant Hand over Milestone, Moves One Step Closer to Completion". Aviation Pros. June 6, 2022. Archived from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- ^ a b "Consolidated Rent-A-Car (ConRAC) Facility". Los Angeles World Airports. Archived from the original on November 21, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ "Fitch Downgrades LINXS (LAX People Mover Project) Sr Revs to BB+; Rating Outlook Negative". Fitch Ratings. January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ "LAX". Avis Rent a Car. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
- ^ Sharp, Steven (February 16, 2018). "Renderings Galore for the LAX Automated People Mover". Urbanize LA. Archived from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
