Construction of a state-of-the-art Rental Car Center at San Diego International Airport is under way on the north side of the airfield. The facility will house a number of rental car companies, including the leading national brands, as well as local, independent and small business rental car companies.

The Rental Car Center is being constructed by joint venture Austin│Sundt, with Demattei Wong Architecture leading the design effort. It will serve as a central location for rental car customers, with one consolidated shuttle service serving all rental car companies, versus the many brand-specific shuttles that have served the airport up to this point. This will dramatically reduce rental car traffic on Harbor Drive and the number of shuttle busses circulating around the airport.

Building on the airport’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, the Rental Car Center will be designed to achieve LEED certification, incorporating “green” design principles such as use of alternative energy sources, recycled materials, renewable resources and water-saving fixtures.

The design and construction of the Rental Car Center will be funded by customer facility charges. This means that the customers who use the facility, i.e., rental car companies, will fund it through charges such as rent and/or a fee that is added to rental charges, collected by rental car companies and remitted back to the Airport Authority. The estimated cost for the Rental Car Center is $316 million.

What’s Happening on the North Side of the Airport?

A series of exciting improvements is being constructed on the north side of San Diego International Airport, including the airports’ first Rental Car Center, a new Fixed-Based Operator complex serving general aviation aircraft, an on-airport roadway and other roadway improvements.

The Airport Authority is working closely with the Austin│Sundt joint venture to maximize opportunities for small and local businesses to win contracts as part of construction of the Rental Car Center. Click to learn more about contract opportunities for north side development at SDIA.

The Airport Authority is committed to keeping the public informed about north side construction that may impact residents. If you would like to receive email updates about ongoing construction on the north side of the airport, please email northside@san.org or call 619-400-2288. For more about the Rental Car Center and north side development, click here.