Thunderstorms, some locally heavy early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%..

Thunderstorms, some locally heavy early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.

A new center to maintain rental cars is expected to open near the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport next spring. This building, closed for years and once home to Verizon offices, will be demolished. The airport will receive more than $108,000 a year in rent for the land.

A new center to maintain rental cars is expected to open near the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport next spring. This building, closed for years and once home to Verizon offices, will be demolished. The airport will receive more than $108,000 a year in rent for the land.

PITTSTON TWP. — An area airport will earn more than $100,000 a year in rent once a new rental car maintenance center opens nearby next year.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport board agreed to lease about 2.5 acres Thursday for 25 years to AVP QTA LLC, a limited liability company established as part of the deal. The rent will amount to more than $108,000 a year, airport assistant director Gary Borthwick said. Conrac builds centers at major airports across the country.

Conrac Solutions, of Renton, Washington, which specializes in building such rent-a-car maintenance centers, will build this one at a projected cost of almost $11.4 million.

The $3.25 a day customer facility charge the airport collects for each day a car is rented will pay the construction loan.

The center will serve the airport’s car rental companies — Hertz, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National and Dollar.

For years, they have maintained cars well away from the airport. The new center will sit just off the airport terminal access road where Verizon once had offices.

Conrac will tear down that building and another next door that one rental car company uses for maintenance, airport co-solicitor Don Frederickson told the board.

“They’ll be able to service their cars and get them back on the road without having to leave the airport property,” Frederickson said. “It’s a plus plus plus for the airport. It’s additional rent. We’re getting rid of an old building that’s been an eyesore here and then replacing it with the new and improved building.”

The center will have two automated car washes, one hand-wash bay, offices, storage areas, fueling stations with an 11,000-gallon above-ground gasoline tank and parking for 250 vehicles on the land and another 75 on a lot across the access road.

Construction is scheduled to start this fall and be completed by the spring of next year, airport director Carl Beardsley Jr. said.

In other business, the board heard Beardsley say 17,677 passengers flew out of the airport in July, or 18.2% more than July 2021.

American Airlines and United Airlines filled more than 90% of their available seats, Beardsley said.

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9147; @BorysBlogTT on Twitter.

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