Those In Support Of A Brightline Station In Stuart Will Rally Tonight

Stuart residents are not giving up on a Brightline station. City Commissioners rescinded agreements with the rail line and Martin County last month.

"They fumbled the ball badly when they canceled this train station. And now we're just trying to get word out and hope they pick up the ball and run with it and get this back together before it's too late."

Sherry Lee owns property and businesses in the community redevelopment area that is marked for the station to be built.

"The money that the station would generate in additional tax revenue over the years would go right back into the CRA, right back in to the city."

She says taxpayers were not on the hook for the $30-million that the city initially agreed to.

The county has said it wants to renegotiate with the high-speed rail line, but Lee thinks that could lead to the city losing any future revenue, even if the station is still built in the same spot.

"Brightline has to, as a result of the lawsuit settlement, they have to build a station on the Treasure Coast within five years. We're already a year in, so they have four years left to build a station on the Treasure Coast. It could easily just move up to Fort Pierce.

There will be a rally at the Riverwalk stage in support of a Brightline station today at 4 p.m. and organizers from a group called Bright Stuart urge people to show up and wear yellow.

The Commission meets an hour later (5 p.m.) and there are expected to be plenty of comments from the public.