Brightline has broken ground on a new Boca Raton train station and parking structure, with a combined public and private cost of more than $55 million.
Zyscovich Architects of Miami designed the 38,000 sq. ft. station, which Kaufman Lynn Construction is building.
The station, along with others in the private rail system’s network, will include passenger lounges, touchless turnstiles, and the rail system’s autonomous MRKT, a cashless retail market that enables travelers to use their credit cards to access the shop and buy snacks, prepared foods, beverages, toiletries and small electronics such as chargers and headphones, the South Florida SunSentinal reported.
The published report says Brightline is contributing nearly $30 million to the station. It also contributed $300,000 to toward a community garden that was displaced by the station project.
Meanwhile, the city was awarded a $16.3 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement grant from the Federal Railroad Administration, an arm of the U.S. Department of Transportation, to fund a portion of the construction.
The city is paying $9.9 million for a 455-space parking garage.
The company’s biggest immediate goal is to complete its 170-mile extension from West Palm Beach to Orlando International Airport via Cocoa Beach, for which work is 70 percent complete, Brightline president Patrick Goddard said.
In an interview with the newspaper, Goddard said talks are continuing with public officials about a commuter line in Broward County, and future stations at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and PortMiami.
“There is still a discussion happening with the Fort Lauderdale airport. I think we’re also waiting to see where we end up with the commuter rail system,” he told the SunSentinal. ” There are active discussions happen with Broward and Miami-Dade counties about a commuter rail system. I think that’s all on the table right now.”
Regarding PortMiami: “We are continuing to have conversations with PortMiami. There has been a lot of uncertainty in the cruise industry and I think for that reason we haven’t been putting pressure on them, and they have other priorities. I’m certain we’ll revisit it but we’re focused on South Florida to Central Florida.”
