Stuart OKs land lease with Brightline, moves closer to bringing train station to the city

STUART — The city took another step forward Monday in its quest to bring back passenger rail service.

City commissioners unanimously approved — with Commissioner Christopher Collins absent — a land lease with Brightline for the previously announced train station on Southeast Flagler Avenue. The lease is conditional upon approval by the Martin County Commission, which may consider it Aug. 27.

“Today’s unanimous vote on the Stuart station lease agreement by the city of Stuart Commission is one of the final steps necessary to deliver a station to Martin County," Brightline officials said in a statement. "We are thankful for the support and partnership of the commission and city staff and look forward to officially getting started.”

Construction on the station is expected to begin in the spring, and the station could open in early 2027, according to the latest estimates.

Lease and cost

Stuart would lease the land to Brightline for $1 a year for 40 years, with an option for an additional 40 years.

The city could be on the hook for more than $15 million for its share of the station construction. The city and county will pay up to $45 million for construction. But the cost could be millions of dollars less, City Manager Michael Mortell told commissioners, because a parking garage may be unnecessary.

Design

The original station was expected to be an 8,000- to 10,000-square-foot building on 2.3 acres with 200 parking spaces. That's still the plan, but the requirement for the parking spaces may be accomplished without a garage. Also, the station is expected to be one-story to fit in with the character of Stuart.

"It's still subject to design," Mortell said.

Parking garage

There is "probably a 50-50 chance of having a parking garage," Brian Kronberg, Brightline's senior vice president of development and construction, told commissioners.

Using the land for parking instead of building a four-story parking garage would save the city and county a considerable amount of money and protect 30- to 40-year-old oak trees on the property for at least a period of time, Mortell said.

If a parking garage is built, it would likely be two stories tall, Kronberg said. The first floor would be covered parking, and the second would be open to the elements, he said.

Next step

Station design is the next step.

"We are anxious to get to the next step," Kronberg said. Brightline would also like to have the opportunity to build a parking garage in the future, he said. A parking garage might be built if demand for travel and parking exceed current estimates.

More: How to get an appointment with a primary-care physician: Have patience

More: Guy Davis Park in East Stuart finally may see improvements 20-plus years in the making

The city could at a later time apply for a federal grant to pay for some or all of the garage, city officials said. Most of the cost of construction of the station, including the garage, is falling on the shoulders of Stuart and Martin County, according to their agreement with Brightline.

Brightline would be responsible for the maintenance, operation, taxes and insurance on the station, Mortell said.

"We are going to have the perfect station to get us either to Orlando or Miami, and we're still going to keep the small-town Stuart we all keep saying we want," resident and former Stuart Commissioner Tom Campenni told commissioners during the public comment period.

Keith Burbank is TCPalm's watchdog reporter covering Martin County. He can be reached at keith.burbank@tcpalm.com and at 720-288-6882.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Stuart OKs land lease with Brightline, moves closer to bringing train station to the city