Travelers using Newark Liberty International Airport will see increased convenience with all of the airport’s rent-a-car facilities consolidated into a single best-in-class facility next to the new Terminal One, under a measure approved today by the Port Authority’s Board of Commissioners.Many of the nation’s largest airports already have a consolidated rent-a-car facility, known as a ConRAC, providing travelers easy on-airport access to all rental car choices in one complex. ConRACs at other airports have reduced on-airport congestion by bringing rental-car customers to a single location, while also saving limited space at airports for other critical customer needs.
With today’s board action, Port Authority officials will now enter into negotiations with a developer to design, build, finance, operate and maintain a ConRAC, with no financial risk to the agency.
The Port Authority’s contribution to the project, which would include a public parking garage, would be capped at $130 million if the negotiations to build a ConRAC are successful. Should a deal not be reached between the developer and agency before December, the Port Authority would plan to build its own stand-alone garage at a budgeted cost of $170 million.
“The construction of a consolidated rent-a-car facility at Newark Airport will maximize customer convenience and airport efficiencies,’’ said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “Consolidating rental-car agencies with a new parking garage is the perfect complement to the world-class new Terminal One, which will serve travelers as a gateway to New Jersey and the region.”
“Today’s vote demonstrates our commitment to improving customer service and amenities,” said Port Authority Vice Chairman Jeffrey Lynford. “The Port Authority recognizes the evolving needs of its customers and is making great strides in implementing best practices through a customer-focused approach to excellence.”
Currently, rental car companies at Newark Liberty are spread out, and centralizing rental car operations and parking into one location near the new Terminal One will enhance the customer experience. Designs for a multi-level garage complex consist of an integrated ConRAC facility with three main structures with six levels of combined public parking and rental car operations that can accommodate multiple rental car brands, new entrants and support projected growth.
A new 3,000-vehicle lot would replace parking areas for the current Terminal A, which opened in 1973 and is cramped and outmoded for today’s 21st century passenger needs at Newark Liberty. The existing parking areas will be incorporated into the footprint of the new Terminal One.
The board’s total $170 million allocation today is covered within the Port Authority’s $2.7 billion authorization for the entire Terminal One redevelopment.
Construction of the proposed integrated facility – which also allows for installation of a solar roof structure and electrical vehicle charging stations – could start in mid-summer 2019 and continue through the end of 2022, with the public parking elements completed by September 2021.
Last year, the Board authorized the Port Authority to conduct an $8 million study to determine the feasibility of building a ConRAC, which other airports have utilized.
Newark Liberty’s new Terminal One will have the capacity to accommodate 13.6 million passengers annually while retaining flexibility for future growth and expansion to serve larger aircrafts and meet changes in passenger demand. The current Terminal A was designed to handle a maximum of nine million passengers per year, which has been significantly exceeded in recent years.
The Terminal One project overall is expected to generate more than $4.6 billion in regional economic activity, create more than 23,000 jobs and provide more than $1.9 billion in wages.
