Hartsfield-Jackson selects new firm for parking contract

The Atlanta airport’s massive parking operations generate $120 million in annual revenue. JASON GETZ / JGETZ@AJC.COM

Credit: Jason Getz / AJC

Credit: Jason Getz / AJC

The Atlanta airport’s massive parking operations generate $120 million in annual revenue. JASON GETZ / JGETZ@AJC.COM

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is near a deal with a new contractor to run its massive parking operation.

The Atlanta airport has more than 30,000 parking spaces, including garages, lots and park-and-ride lots, and brings in about $120 million in revenue from parking annually.

Standard Parking, also known as SP Plus, has run the parking operation for several years. But the airport in 2014 invited companies to compete for a new contract. Standard Parking and ABM-Lanier-Hunt Airport Parking Atlanta submitted proposals.

ABM-Lanier-Hunt’s proposal scored 815 in evaluations by the city — 10 points higher than Standard Parking.

The city then halted the process pending the master plan, which includes new decks, but ended up requiring no changes after determining the new decks won’t be built soon enough to affect the new contract.

Standard Parking told the airport that management fees, operating budgets and financial statements submitted in 2014 are now “completely out-of-date,” in part due to changes in health insurance terms under the Affordable Care Act.

“We feel it would be in the best interest of the city to discontinue this outdated process,” said Bob Reiser, a senior vice president at SP Plus during a city council transportation committee meeting Wednesday.

But the committee voted to pass the resolution for the nearly $1.3 million deal on to the full council, with four votes in favor, one against and one abstention.

A separate contract for shuttle operations is set to be awarded to A-National Limousine.

The committee also voted for a $12 million contract for construction management to be awarded to ATL Construction Management Partners, a joint venture including CH2M Hill Inc., RohadFox Construction and Parsons Transportation Group.

That contracting process also was delayed after a letter from an attorney representing ousted airport manager Miguel Southwell earlier this year raised concerns about construction contract procurement and other issues. Southwell and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed later dropped their dispute.