Still have questions about the new Brightline station in Stuart? Here are some answers

STUART — As Brightline has yet to officially announce Stuart as the location of its Treasure Coast station, people are still left wondering what will come next.

Stuart beat out two station bids in downtown Fort Pierce and two others from unknown private bidders, according to statements made earlier this week by city officials.

"We're very excited about it," city spokesperson Misti Guertin said Monday of Brightline's decision.

Brightline's higher-speed trains run between Miami and Orlando, with stops in Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach. Though they run through the Treasure Coast, there are no stops here.

When will Brightline officially announce?

Brightline officials have declined all week to make any announcement of its new station site, but a company spokesperson said an "event" will be held Monday. More details were to come by the end of last week.

Brightline, in fact, had asked Stuart officials to meet them at the proposed station site on either Monday or March 11, Stuart City Manager Mike Mortell told the City Commission earlier this week.

Mortell said Monday he was unable to imagine that another location would be chosen as the site of the Treasure Coast stop if Brightline wants to meet city officials at the proposed joint city-county location this coming week or the following week.

What comes next?

Stuart officials declined to answer several questions about the costs and next steps involved in moving the station forward, saying it is too early to answer them.

“The details requested below should become available” following the official announcement from Brightline, Guertin said.

The questions included which entity — city, county or Brightline — would be responsible for contracting certain components of the work and when the county would transfer ownership of the property to Stuart, as described in their joint proposal.

That said, Stuart and Martin County officials have both said much of their application was based on Brightline's Boca Raton station, which opened in December 2022.

In Boca Raton, according to a city spokesperson, the city oversaw enhancements to sidewalks and roadways surrounding the station, while Brightline oversaw construction of the station itself. They hired separate construction managers after taking bids.

Before that process can start, though, the Boca Raton spokesperson said, Brightline, Stuart and Martin County must formally finalize their agreements.

What is the timeline?

According to the timeline Brightline included in its bid requirements, the station is set to be complete by the first quarter of 2028. That comes after about two years of design and permitting work — scheduled to last from the second quarter of this year through 2025 — and more than two years of construction — scheduled to last between 2026 and 2027.

That construction timeline closely matches Boca Raton's experience, the city spokesperson there said. Based on what happened there, the first signs of activity people will see likely will be construction fencing. After about six months, the initial footprint of the station will begin to form. After about a year an unfinished structure likely will be visible. After more than two years, expect the station to be complete, the spokesperson said.

How much will it cost?

The joint Stuart-Martin County application estimated cost of the station, at 500 Southeast Flagler Ave., at $60 million. That cost, according to the proposal, would be shared among the city, the county and Brightline, with $45 million coming from the city and county.

The city is expected to build an estimated $30 million parking garage while the county and Brightline each are expected to spend $15 million on the station. The county plans to donate the property to the city, which then will lease it to Brightline for $1 per year for the next 80 years.

Estimated costs for the project remain unchanged from the initial proposal, Martin County Assistant Administrator George Stokus said earlier this week.

Stokus didn’t know when ownership of the land would be transferred to the city from the county or from the city to Brightline, he said.

Are there lessons to be learned from Boca Raton?

The Boca Raton spokesperson indicated multiple lessons could be learned from their experiences. First, it will be important for Stuart and Martin County officials to quickly grasp Federal Railroad Administration regulations.

"The Federal Railroad Administration is excellent to work with, but since train stations and track building are not a regular occurrence, it was a challenge to get up to speed with the regulations," the spokesperson said via email. "The area around the station needed be ready, so while Brightline could swiftly hire a (private sector) contractor to complete the work, the city had to move quickly to prepare the space around the station."

More: Brightline to build new Treasure Coast station in downtown Stuart, city officials say

More: 'Brightline made the wrong decision': Fort Pierce reacts to train service choosing Stuart

Additionally, Stuart and Martin County officials should be ready for a fast-paced process, with a need to move quickly on things such as permitting since Brightline tries to stick to its construction timelines, the Boca Raton spokesperson said.

Another recommendation from Boca Raton was to "leave room for future adjustments based on how people use the station and connect with the downtown area."

Keith Burbank is TCPalm's watchdog reporter covering Martin County. He can be reached at keith.burbank@tcpalm.com.

Wicker Perlis is TCPalm's Watchdog Reporter for St. Lucie County. You can reach him at wicker.perlis@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: When will Brightline officially announce its new station in Stuart?