The Boise Airport is making steady progress on its multiyear capital expansion plan, BOI Upgrade. City and airport leaders gathered with representatives from the region’s tourism industry to celebrate the beginning of the next major project included in this plan, construction of a consolidated rent-a-car (CONRAC) facility. This new facility will relocate the airport’s onsite rental car companies into one standalone building that’s within walking distance to the terminal, keeping that important service for visitors to Boise easy and convenient.
DEMAND-DRIVEN GROWTHThe Boise Airport has seen an 82% increase in passenger traffic over the last decade. In 2023 the airport served 4.75M total passengers, making it the busiest year on record. This exponential growth has driven the need to add the infrastructure required to serve passengers and grow in pace with our community.
IMPORTANCE OF RENTAL CAR OPERATIONSAs Idaho’s only medium-hub airport, the Boise Airport is the gateway to the Treasure Valley for many visitors to our state. An easy and convenient experience at the rental car counter can help positively contribute to a visitor’s overall perception of the region. Served by national car rental brands Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National, Alamo, Hertz, Dollar, and Thrifty, these companies average a combined 160 car rentals/hour on typical days and can be as high as 280 car rental/hour at peak times. Concessions collected from rental car operations was the third highest revenue generator for the airport in 2023.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Construction of the CONRAC facility will be divided into two phases. Phase 1 of the project includes a seven-level garage with approximately 980 “ready/return” spaces to temporarily park cars that are awaiting a renter. The facility will also include 20,000sqft of customer service areas and offices, and a 4,000sqft covered walkway to connect the CONRAC facility to the terminal. Phase 2 of the project will include a quick-turn area for the rental car companies to conduct their daily operations and will include services like a carwash, maintenance facilities, and fueling.
As an Enterprise fund within the City of Boise, the Boise Airport is not supported by local taxpayer dollars. Instead, the airport operates as a business to generate its own revenues that then get reinvested back into the airport’s infrastructure. Phase 1 of the CONRAC is estimated to cost approximately $117 million and will be fully funded by a customer facility charge (CFC), a daily fee charged to users who rent a car from an on-airport rental car company. The airport plans to seek bonds backed by future CFC collections to fund the project.
McAlvain Construction has been selected as the Construction Manager at Risk for the project. The CONRAC will comply with International Green Construction Code as adopted by City of Boise.
