Bringing Together Wide-Ranging Expertise for Aviation Project With Many Stakeholders

• Planning and design of Boise Airport’s 7-level consolidated rental car facility (ConRAC)
• Structural, wayfinding, fire protection, telecommunications and cybersecurity design services
• Collaboration with local CMAR McAlvain Construction during construction of the seven-level facility

Boise, Idaho, is booming, and so is its airport. To support continued passenger growth and make way for the airport’s ongoing terminal expansion program, the Boise Airport has opened a new consolidated rental car facility, replacing the former surface-level rental car operation adjacent to the terminal.  

HDR partnered with Demattei Wong Architecture to design the City of Boise’s more than $107 million ConRAC. HDR provided project management and a range of technical services including structural engineering, wayfinding, fire protection, telecommunications design and cybersecurity support. The team guided the project from concept refinement and schematic design through detailed design and construction administration.  

The completed facility includes a seven-level rental car garage with approximately 980 ready/return spaces on levels 1-6 and nearly 300 car storage spaces on level 7. Prior to the facility's construction, the airport had just 350 parking spaces. The structure also features an attached 20,000-square-foot customer service building and an enclosed 4,000-square-foot pedestrian walkway connecting travelers directly to the terminal. By consolidating rental car operations into a vertical facility, the airport has freed valuable space needed for future terminal expansion while improving the customer experience for arriving passengers.

Local Team Backed by National Expertise

A ConRAC is a complex facility that demands the collaborative efforts of many disciplines working together to satisfy the needs of the airport, rental car operators and travelers. Success requires a coordinated approach from concept through construction and a deep understanding of airport operations.  

Demattei Wong Architecture brought extensive experience designing airport rental car facilities, while HDR assembled a team that combined Idaho-based professionals with aviation, building engineering and transportation specialists from across the country. The result was a team that paired local knowledge and relationships with nationally recognized ConRAC expertise.  

The collaborative approach continued through construction. Working closely with the City of Boise and local construction manager at risk (CMAR) McAlvain Construction, the team helped navigate the challenges of building a major new facility within an active airport environment. Careful planning allowed airport operations and passenger access to continue throughout construction despite a constrained site and evolving pedestrian circulation routes.  

Now open and serving travelers, the ConRAC is a key piece of Boise Airport’s long-term growth strategy. The facility relocates rental car operations away from land needed for future terminal development, creates a modern and convenient arrival experience and provides the capacity needed to support the airport’s continued growth for years to come.