John Glenn Columbus International Airport Consolidated Rental Car Facility

With annual passenger traffic at John Glenn Columbus International Airport projected to grow from 6 to 10 million over the next 25 years, the Columbus Regional Airport Authority faced the need to modernize and consolidate its outdated rental car facilities. The goal was to create a centralized, efficient Columbus airport rental car center to support long-term growth, free up space for public parking integrated with a future terminal and improve the overall customer experience. Construction unfolded in the heart of a busy airport, where every step had to be carefully choreographed to avoid disrupting daily operations. The team worked against an aggressive timeline, bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders to align on a shared vision and keep the project moving forward with precision and purpose.

GFT led the design and delivery of a 1,000,000-square-foot consolidated rental car facility (CONRAC), including a multilevel ready/return garage, Quick Turnaround Area (QTA), rooftop storage, and customer service functions on 24 acres. Our team worked with the Columbus Regional Airport Authority to develop the CONRAC as the first phase of a broader terminal transformation and strategically positioned it across from the future terminal site. As Architect of Record, GFT provided complete services, from programming and planning to concept development, construction documents, and construction administration. Our team led structural and civil engineering efforts that included vehicle access and egress improvements, upgrades to the airport’s International Gateway roadway, and design of the multilevel QTA, helices, and customer service building. GFT also collaborated with Turner Construction and the Columbus Building Department to break construction into multiple bid packages. This strategy enabled early procurement of long-lead items and parallel progress on sitework and utility corridors, supporting a fast-tracked, code-compliant delivery.