STUART, Fla. — Martin County, Fla., has applied for a $45 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration for a proposed Brightline station in the Stuart, part of its ongoing effort to salvage a station proposal that the city of Stuart initially sought before withdrawing.
The newspaper TC Palm reports the county submitted its request by a Monday, Dec. 17, deadline. The funds would go toward construction of a station in downtown Stuart projected to cost $60 million, giving Brightline its first intermediate station on the Orlando-West Palm Beach portion of its route.
At least three locations vied for the station in the “Treasure Coast” area north of West Palm Beach, with Brightline selecting Stuart’s proposal in March [see “Brightline ceremony marks selection of Stuart …,” Trains News Wire, March 4, 2024]. But city commissioners rescinded its agreements with the passenger operator in September, with one saying the plan was a “bad deal for taxpayers” [see “No deal for planned Brightline station …,” News Wire, Sept. 10, 2024].
The county — which owns the land selected as a station site — then stepped in to make its own deal with Brightline for an 8,000-square-foot facility. That station could be open as early as 2028.
Reminder that Stuart wanted to do more than just build a station. The original proposal included a lot of surrounding redevelopment as well. It was one reason the residents voted it down. As I understand it now, its just a station and a multi-level parking garage.
Sounds like Rep Rick Mast has his work cut out for him. His office is just north of the proposed station, its also where he is procuring fed funds to get a new bridge built over the river. The current draw bridge and the last minute Coast Guard ruling has brought havoc on Brightline scheduling between West Palm and Miami Central.
As most people remember Mast was a proponent of Brightline until it risked his re-election and he flipped and became an opponent. Now that it is running, he has flipped again and is prying open the federal piggy bank to make it better for his district.