There are so many big construction projects in Las Vegas, one more hardly arouses attention. However, this one is different. Not only does it usher in a fresh concept to the traveling public, but the $125 million project directly affects one of the most critical elements to the economic health of Southern Nevada – McCarran International Airport.
Following a burgeoning national trend, McCarran plans to consolidate all the rental car agencies currently servicing the airport into one huge central facility. “This will be like a terminal, but for rental cars,” said John Sawdon, a partner in Swisher & Hall AIA, Ltd, the design architects for the project.
Being built on 64 acres just south of the airport, the McCarran Rent-A-Car Center will include a 114,000-square-foot customer service building, a 1.8 million-square-foot parking garage and three “Quick-Turn-Around” facilities totaling another 131,353 square feet, where cars will be washed, fueled, serviced and prepared for the next renter. Other features, such as an expansive entry plaza, canopied shuttle area and sandstone building materials, will work together to create a rental facility unlike any other in the West.
“At capacity, this center will be able to process 10,000 cars a day,” said Sawdon, project manager of the new center. “We had to provide for safety, security and all aspects of bringing cars in, getting them serviced and back on line.”
“This project represents many firsts,” said Sawdon. Take fueling for example. Instead of individual rental agency maintenance areas, the new project calls for one enormous staging area with a common fueling system that has 150,000 gallons of gas stored underground. “Imagine a gas station with 300 pumps,” he said.
But the real story is how the project evolved, even before making it to the drawing board. The process of bringing a dozen rental car agencies to agree on a new concept was a monumental effort, involving seemingly endless negotiations. Understandably, the companies were all hesitant to discuss intimate details of their respective businesses. Achieving consensus on the design was a key challenge that took nearly a year. “We built an environment of shared benefit and cooperation,” Sawdon said. “It took a lot of time, patience and tenacity to come together on a design that would serve them all equally well.” The architects held many meetings, presented their vision and were attentive to each rental company, starting with the general concept, then working down to detailed procedures.
“We listened real hard to what their concerns were, and tried to respond to each and every obstacle,” said Sawdon. “Over time, we were able to design a structure that accommodates all the agencies.”
The Rent-A-Car Center’s floorplan is elliptical in shape so all counters are visible from the main entry. “That way, no agency feels slighted,” Sawdon said. “The car rental business is very competitive, and we had make sure each agency had an equitable interest in the project.”
The confusing stream of rental car agency shuttles at McCarran will be eliminated. When the new center is completed, travelers will get their luggage and then board a common bus, arriving at the rental center with a full array of agencies to choose from. Once their forms are completed, customers go out one of three portals to a garage where cars are waiting. “No customer has to travel more than 300 feet to get to his or her car,” said Sawdon.
It is in the airport’s interest to have car rental agencies thrive. The Department of Aviation’s project team was led by: Randall Walker, airport director; Tina Quigley, director of planning and construction; Dennis Mewshaw, planning manager; Ernest Patton, construction manager; Tom Kordus, project manager; and Eberhard Babel, project manager for Bechtel, general contractor for the project.
Construction started January first and the facility is expected to open July 2006. The new Rent-A-Car Center will handle projected growth through the year 2012. “Almost all major airports have a similar facility in the planning stages,” Sawdon said. “We think our consensus process will become the pattern rental agencies follow in other airports around the country.”
