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 But city commissioners rescinded its agreements with the passenger operator in September, with one saying the plan was a “bad deal for taxpayers” [see “No deal for planned Brightline station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.
