By Dominic Welling

Massport has approved a $300 million budget for the construction of a consolidated rental car facility (ConRAC) at Boston Logan International Airport.

The four level garage and customer service building will mean all rental car companies operating at the airport will now be based in the same place in the southwest service area of the airport.

As a result of the new facility, the rental car bus fleet and Massport shuttle buses will more than half, dropping from 100 to 28.

This is intended to dramatically reduce vehicle emissions, improve terminal curbside congestion, and enhance customer service by serving both the arriving level roadway and departure level roadway.

Thomas Kinton, CEO at Massport, said: "The ConRAC will be LEED silver and will have solar panels that will produce at least 2.5% of the building's electrical needs.

"Not only will the new unified bus system improve air quality through alternative fuels, it will reduce emissions by cutting congestion and dwell times at the terminal curbs.

"It also represents a significant improvement in customer service, because departing passengers will be dropped off on the upper level and a separate bus loop will pick up arriving passengers on the lower level.''

The project is expected to create 180 full-time construction positions and support 1,500 jobs in design, manufacturing and related industries that will supply materials for the ConRAC.

Funding to construct the new facility will come from a mix of revenue bonds, an existing Customer Facility Charge, a Massport loan, and a Federal Aviation Administration Voluntary Airport Low Emissions AIP grant.

The ConRAC is scheduled to open in late 2013.