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Newcomer wins Tampa airport parking bid

The holder of the current contract came in $1-million higher and lost the job.

By STEVE HUETTEL
Published March 2, 2007

TAMPA - Experience counts for something, but not an extra $1-million.

Republic Parking System, the national company that has operated parking facilities at Tampa International Airport for 22 years, lost a bid Thursday to keep the job.

Even the winning competitor admitted Republic did a good job. But the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority board selected Ampco System Parking, which offered to run parking garages and shuttles for $3.3-million - $1-million less than Republic - over the five-year contract.

Airport staff ranked Republic, based in Chattanooga, Tenn., slightly higher than Ampco, another national operator based in Los Angeles. executive director Louis Miller told board members that either company could do the job.

"When we're looking at a $1-million swing, it's awfully difficult for us to ignore it," said board chairman Stephen Mitchell, a Tampa attorney.

Parking is the airport's biggest moneymaker, expected to generate $60-million, or one-third of the Aviation Authority's $182.5-milllion in revenue for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30.

Airport staff sifted through proposals from five parking companies in excruciating detail.

Using gasoline-powered shuttle buses won higher marks than diesel-fueled ones less smoke in the economy garage. They checked that companies would have enough employees trained to inspect car trunks in case federal officials ratchet up the terrorist alert level.

Cost was just one of six categories staffers used to evaluate proposals. The price included management fees and the cost of buying and maintaining shuttle buses. Employee salaries are reimbursed at staffing levels and salaries set by the airport.

Republic senior vice president John Leavens argued that Ampco got a cost advantage by underestimating maintenance costs of shuttles running between the economy garage and the terminal.

He suggested that Ampco would need to cut corners to make up the difference. Miller told board members the contract wouldn't allow that.

In other business Thursday, the board agreed to hire consultant Parsons Brinkerhoff to develop conceptual design plans for running a regional light rail system through the airport.

Local elected officials, including Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, have called for a mass transit system to deal with growth and traffic.

About 30 officials met last week about a rail link connecting downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa with business centers like Gateway and West Shore, and to Tampa International and the University of South Florida.

The airport plan will include stations at the current terminal and a terminal expected to open in 2015. The airport would donate right of way and pay for the stations, Miller said.

Steve Huettel can be reached at huettel@sptimes.com or (813)226-3384.

[Last modified March 1, 2007, 23:22:50]