Palm Springs Airport Commission selects its preferred south-side rental car facility option

The Palm Springs Airport Commission voted Wednesday to bring one of two south-side rental car facility plans to the City Council, in addition to a north option previously discussed, marking a significant step in the airport’s expansion efforts.

The five-story structure reviewed Wednesday, which would be located south of Kirk Douglas Way, is designed to improve airport operations and enhance the customer experience. The plan includes a shuttle service to transport passengers between the terminal and the new facility.

The commission considered two designs — Alternative 1, which would see a large rental car center built parallel to the street; or Alternative 2, which would be built perpendicular to it and cut between two existing parking lots. After deliberation, commissioners chose to recommend Alternative 2.

Ryan Hayes, a representative from the company that presented the alternatives, explained the benefits of the chosen plan, noting, “This alternative, along the long face of the building, you just have more space for buses to line up.” He added that the design separates drop-off and pick-up areas, potentially reducing congestion.

However, the plan is not without challenges. The proposed site requires the acquisition of adjacent property, estimated to cost around $9 million.

Commissioner Craig Fong raised concerns about this aspect, asking, “Do we have a sense of how easy politically and how expensive financially it would be to acquire the property needed for Alternative 2?”

Fong also noted that some in the community had expressed objections to locating the new rental car facility to the south of the airport.

In response, airport officials noted that while the acquisition cost is significant, it’s not prohibitively expensive in the context of the overall project. They could not address any particular community concerns. A public open house on the project is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 7.

The next steps involve conducting detailed traffic impact studies for options on both the north side and south side of the airport. Visual impact renderings will also be created to help stakeholders better understand how the facility would look from various vantage points.

The commission’s recommendations will eventually go to the City Council for further consideration and potential approval. Councilmembers had earlier asked about both traffic and visual impacts of both alternatives.

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