For those of you who are on the island scouting out Maui real estate, you may be interested to know about the upcoming changes to Kahului Airport. We’re about to see some major development that will involve a consolidated car rental facility on a 17-acre plot to the southwest of the current terminal. As Maui’s primary airport, a lot of people move through, and the car rental facility is meant to simplify the process for visitors.

Honolulu-based Nan Inc. has been chosen for this project’s development, to the tune of $327 million, which was awarded by the Hawaii Department of Transportation’s Airports Division. This is part of a larger effort to improve roadways and consolidate the car rental process at Kahului Airport, which is funded by the state’s Airports Modernization Program, which is funded in turn by airport user fees.

The facility will include a 2 million-square-foot complex with a ready/return rental car facility, a customer service building, maintenance and washing of vehicles, a turnaround area for refueling, along with a short-term and long-term parking facility that will include 4,900 stalls. Other features are four 15,000-gallon fuel storage tanks, some infrastructure upgrades, new roadway connections, and solar photovoltaic panels to top it off.

One of the goals of the development is to reduce traffic in and around the airport. For example, to accommodate travelers who are picking up or dropping of cars, there will be airport transportation between the new complex and the terminal. This will help consolidate the movement of people on the roadways. The new road for the facility will link Hana Highway with Airport Loop Road.

As for the scenery changes involved with the new facility, time will tell how that shapes up. On the plus side, the new development will create construction jobs, and in all likelihood, some long-term positions as well. Mahalo for reading this week, and as always, if you need assistance searching for the right South Maui real estate for your needs, you’ll find our contact information at the bottom of the page.