While few Highline residents may use the Sea-Tac Airport’s new consolidated rental car facility, its opening on May 17 will bring local benefits.

With the twelve rental car companies all consolidated in one location away from the airport, congestion along SeaTac city streets and airport roadways will be reduced, along with the resulting pollution from the vehicles.

The project also generated $25 million in local taxes as well as creating 3,900 local construction jobs during the great recession. Up to 350 trades people worked at the site at one time.

The massive five-story, $2.1 million square foot facility is located at South 160th Street and International Boulevard. The building, which is the largest concrete structure on the west coast, is easily visible from State Route 518, just southwest of the Tukwila light rail station.

Although construction has stretched over three years, airport managing director Mark Reis noted at a May 9 pre-opening celebration the project has been more like a “17-year journey” with several stops and restarts.

The September 11 terrorist attack, legal issues, Southwest Airlines’ flirtation with moving to Boeing Field and a drying up of investment capital were among the challenges the project faced, according to Reis.

SeaTac City Councilman Barry Ladenburg said the project completion demonstrates “the excellent leadership of the Port of Seattle” and is an example of what government can do right.

The facility is the largest rental car facility to be certified silver by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the nation’s top program for issuing green building certification.

“With LEED certification, the city has yet another example of partnership efforts with the Port of Seattle to increase efforts toward more sustainable development,” Ladenburg said.

In a unique “ribbon cutting” ceremony, one of the 29 natural gas (CNG) shuttle buses that will carry customers between the airport and the facility drove through a banner held by Port staffers.

Port officials said the $419 million project is expected to come in $20 million under budget. In addition to the rental car facility the project includes a bus maintenance building, off-site road improvements, main airport terminal improvements and the purchase of the CNG buses.

The road improvements include the creation of a direct on-ramp to eastbound SR-518 and the addition of another lane to the International Boulevard bridge over SR-518 for westbound traffic exiting directly in to the rental facility. Staffers expect this will lessen traffic on the airport expressway and airport drives.

All airport-related rental car operations will be moved to the one location and customers for all twelve lines will use the same shuttle buses. Previously the rental locations were spread throughout the main terminal garage and multiple locations throughout the city of SeaTac.

By 2025, the airport is expected to handle 45 million passengers per year. George England. Sea-Tac’s rental car manager, said about 20 percent of the passengers rent vehicles.

Moving the rental cars will free up 3,200 parking stalls on two levels of the main terminal garage. England said a decision on just how the new space will be utilized is expected by this fall.

The two exterior circular return and exit ramps are covered with a stainless steel mesh fabric that is lit up at night by LED lights. “Veiled Carbon,” was created by artist Buster Simpson. Another art project, Spinning Our Wheels” by artist Linda Beaumont is a composition of 91 six-foot tall, colorful steel discs. It is located at the firth-floor return shuttle location.

The facility also includes 22 car washes, 48 gas pumps and 48 vacuums.
On a peak day, the facility can process 12,000-14,000 rental cars. It can accommodate 5,400 vehicles on the building’s four parking floors.