Brightline and Kaufman Lynn Construction have launched the construction works for the new Boca Raton station and its parking site.
Congressman Ted Deutch, Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer, Jorge Pesquera of Discover the Palm Beaches, in addition to members of the Boca city council attended the ceremony.
Once completed, the station will be Brightline’s fifth operational in the state, connecting travelers in Boca Raton to Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and soon Orlando.
Boca Raton station is located on a 1.8-acre site across from Mizner Park and adjacent to the downtown library. Designed by Zyscovich Architects, the station will feature approximately 38,000 square feet of space which will include its signature autonomous MRKT and premium lounge among other station amenities. The station will offer a seamless travel experience through modern technology, including a cashless environment, touchless turnstiles and high-speed Wi-Fi. Brightline’s Boca station is expected to be completed in the autumn of 2022.
“As a premier business and leisure destination, Boca Raton is a perfect fit for Brightline and will be an integral part of our network that will further connect the state of Florida. Brightline stations help enhance the local communities and economies where we operate and provide travelers with quick access to state-wide lifestyle and tourist destinations,” Patrick Goddard, the president of Brightline said.
In 2021, Brightline was awarded a USD 16.3 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) Grant from the FRA to fund a portion of the construction of the Brightline train station, parking garage and associated rail infrastructure. In addition to the CRISI grant, the City has provided a commitment of USD 9.9 million towards funding the parking garage. The balance of the project, USD 30 million, will be funded by Brightline. Construction of the Boca Raton station is expected to create more than 480 jobs during construction while contributing more than USD 23 million in wages.
The station is expected to strengthen ties between Boca Raton and South and Central Florida. By connecting to the broader Brightline system, local employers will have access to a bigger employee pool and workers will gain access to an additional 89,000 office jobs within average commute times.
Brightline currently serves Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, with its expansion station in Aventura opening in 2022. Company’s current construction project to Orlando is more than 70 percent completed. In January 2022, Brightline began daily crew training and qualifying test runs between West Palm Beach and Cocoa. The construction of the highly anticipated expansion to Orlando is on track to be complete by the end of 2022, with service to begin in early 2023.
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