Palm Springs Airport Commission backs hybrid rental car facility plan ⋆ The Palm Springs Post

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A rendering of the possible scale of a new rental car building — not what the building itself would look like — is shown on the far right. The building, if constructed, would need to go through a full design process.

The Palm Springs Airport Commission will recommend a newly-proposed hybrid plan for rental car facilities that would split operations between north and south locations, aiming to address concerns about costs, mountain views, and passenger convenience.

Consultants presented the revised proposal at the commission’s Nov. 20 meeting, describing it as a phased approach that could reduce initial costs while preserving flexibility for future expansion.

“This provides flexibility for PSP to scale up as demand increases, but it also allows for this to be much more affordable for this first phase,” said a representative of Mead & Hunt, the firm working on the facility.

If ultimately recommended and adopted, the hybrid plan would reduce the north facility to three levels – two below ground and one above – with rooftop parking. This addresses concerns raised about the scale of previous proposals and potential impacts on mountain views from the terminal.

A south facility, to be built in a later phase, would house vehicle storage and ready-return operations.

The first phase of the hybrid plan would cost an estimated $754 million, down from $808 million in previous proposals. The south facility, if built in a future phase, would cost approximately $179 million for two levels above ground.

Commissioners expressed mixed reactions to the new proposal. Some praised its potential to address community concerns, while others worried about long-term flexibility and impacts on airport real estate.

Airport staff emphasized the inherent flexibility of the airport master plan, which the rental car facility is part of, allowing adjustments based on future demand and conditions.

The city could split rental car operations into two different new buildings if a hybrid design reviewed last week is ultimately approved. These renderings show the possible scale and placement of the buildings, not the actual design.

“The master plan, yes, it is a city document, but it is also an FAA document, primarily for airport use,” said Airport Director Harry Barrett. “We’re telling the FAA what we anticipate asking for in terms of funding, in terms of programming, what we may need support on in terms of community outreach.”

The Palm Springs City Council has ultimate say in the next steps for the facility, but will base its decision on recommendations from the Airport Commission. Once the council approves a plan to address expanded rental car facilities, an environmental review process would begin.

Airport Direct Harry Barrett stressed that many details, including specific designs and funding strategies, would be determined later in the project-level planning stages.

“The decisions that are made today aren’t binding decisions,” he said. “We’re working through those decisions as systematic activations.”

The hybrid proposal emerged following extensive community outreach. Airport staff reported meeting with 30 stakeholder groups over the past two months, with more meetings scheduled through March 2025.

Feedback on previous proposals highlighted concerns about the scale of a northern facility potentially blocking mountain views, while a southern-only option raised issues about passenger convenience and shuttle bus requirements.

The public will have several more opportunities to offer feedback as the project works its way toward completion, and commissioners urged the public to attend and provide input on the evolving plans. The next planned community event is Thursday, Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m. in the Palm Springs Convention Center Oasis Room.

“It’s really important,” said one commissioner. “I have a bunch of friends that are strong advocates about some of this stuff. I’m sure you do as well. I encourage everybody to show up and spend some time and really see how this is evolving.”