The parking garage and lots surrounding T.F. Green Airport were as usual filled to near capacity Thanksgiving Day, but it was likely the last time turkey day travelers will be left searching for a space.
By next Thanksgiving, an additional 2,800 spaces will be available in two new parking garages under construction at the rapidly expanding airport.
ISO 9001:2026: A Practical Opportunity to Build for What’s Next
For Rhode Island manufacturers, ISO 9001 has been much more than a certificate on the…
Learn More
New England Parking, the company that manages the current parking areas, is in the midst of building a 1,500-space, six-level garage that is anticipated to be completed in May.
Meanwhile, the Rhode Island Airport Corporation expects to break ground today on its own 1,500-space, seven-level garage to be completed this time next year. Two hundred of those spaces will be used by the three rental car companies at the airport.
“We are doing this to meet the bottom line, which is the demands of our customers,” said Elaine Roberts, executive director of the airport corporation.
The two new garages will sandwich the existing 750-space garage, which is owned by New England Parking. That garage will be turned over to the airport corporation in 2007 as part of the agreement New England Parking has with the airport in managing the parking facilities.
“Both these garages will eventually be needed whether it is one or two days after they are completed or two years from then,” said Roberts.
James J. Skeffington, a local attorney and partner in New England Parking, said his company predicted the growth of the airport five years ago. That is when his company bought property from Downing Airport Associates with hopes of expanding parking.
“We purchased the property way before they started the construction of the new terminal. We had a lot of confidence that the airport would grow,” he explained.
Skeffington said he would not call the current parking situation a major problem.
“Clearly customers want to pull into a garage and walk to the terminal under cover. It’s something that should be expected at an airport of this size,” Skeffington added.
While the two garage projects were simultaneously in the works there were concerns by the City of Warwick about this sudden growth in the concrete monsters on the horizon.
“It was controversial from the fact that (the New England Parking garage) was larger than the city wanted to see. The mayor wanted it reduced so it was knocked down a couple levels,” said Barbara Caniglia, the city’s economic development director.
Caniglia said aside from the aesthetics of the two garages the city wanted to make sure there was indeed a need.
“Garages are a part of the master plan,” said Caniglia. “Because the airport is growing at leaps and bounds it is a necessity. But the city wants to make sure that we didn’t end up with five or six of them scattered around.”
Skeffington pointed out the money his new garage will mean to the airport and the city.
He estimates the new garage will produce $280,000 in tax revenues to the town, which doesn’t include the $60,000 his company pays in taxes for the existing garage.
The airport corporation will benefit as well by receiving 10 percent of New England Parking’s yearly revenues. Skeffington said companies working in conjunction with an airport traditionally pay airport corporations six percent, but the amount is more because the airport gave New England Parking an easement to have an entrance and exit at the airport’s connector road.
Caniglia said an interesting development should take place once both garages are completed.
“I’m curious to see whether people will use the airport corporation garage or New England Parking’s garage. I would think there would be a fee difference in parking,” she said.
Neither the airport corporation or New England Parking have determined what its fees will be at the new garages.
“That will be determined at the time by the market. Obviously, there will be competition for customers and that will be a factor,” said Skeffington.
