MAF Plan Includes Parking Garage/Rental Car Facility

    Feb. 9, 2022

    By Stewart Doreen

    Source Midland Reporter-Telegram, Texas (TNS)

    Feb. 7—A consolidated rental car center could be coming to Midland International Airport.

    Justine Ruff, director of Airports for the city of Midland, stated this week that Airport officials have a longer-term plan to build a structure on half of the lot just west of the covered parking area (a little farther out from the terminal than covered parking). The idea would be to build a structure with a parking garage. Rental cars would be located on the first floors. Public parking would be allowed above that.

    The consolidated rental car center is something that is offered in other airports, and the current rental car companies at Midland International are in favor of the concept, Ruff said.

    Initial estimates put a cost of the structure at around $25 million. No general fund money would be spent on the facility, Ruff said. The rental car companies at Midland International will collect a facility charge fee for people renting vehicles. Other revenue used could include money that would go into Airport accounts because of drilling on Airport lands, like the production set to take place at Airpark in north Midland.

    The FAA requires that any revenue collected from drilling on airport land to stay at the airport. Midland International also is collecting millions in parking at the airport right now. The city reports collecting $1.39 million in net parking revenue in the first quarter of this fiscal year.

    Another potential revenue source for this project or something else at Midland International Airport or Airpark is the money generated from the selling of property north of Midland. The FAA is allowing for the selling of 2,600 acres that Ruff said has been drilled up "heavily," so it wouldn't be highly lucrative. The land, she said, has been appraised about $6 million to $7 million.

    "That money is Airport money," said Ruff, who updated the Midland City Council — at a recent planning session — on the intention to sell the land as a priority for the upcoming fiscal year.

    Ruff said officials are looking at the construction of the consolidated car center happening in around five years. She added that the recent development of other lots created the space to allow for construction. City leaders have greenlighted the design phase.

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