Brightline President Patrick Goddard (in orange vest), Mayor Scott Singer (sixth from left), other City Council members and staff from Brightline and Kaufman Lynn Construction attend the ceremony for the Boca Raton train station and parking garage. Photo provided
By Mary Hladky
Brightline, its contractor Kaufman Lynn and City Council members celebrated a “topping-off” ceremony on Aug. 16 to note that vertical and structural work has been completed at its Boca Raton station and parking garage and the focus of work now shifts to completing the interiors.
“Our construction teams are working across South Florida and throughout the state to connect Florida like never before and we can’t wait to connect to Boca,” said Patrick Goddard, president of the rail service.
Brightline expects to launch passenger service to Boca Raton before the end of the year.
The 22,000-square-foot station will be Brightline’s fourth in the state, connecting travelers in Boca Raton to Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Its fifth expansion station in Aventura will also open in 2022 followed by service to Orlando in 2023.
“It’s a game changer for Boca Raton to have a Brightline station in our downtown,” said Mayor Scott Singer. “Our residents and business know how much it means to be a key part of a major transportation network. We’re excited to see the line build out to Orlando and possibly beyond.”
The Boca Raton station received a federal grant for $16.4 million that obligates Brightline to build “Buy America Compliant,” which means the materials used for the construction were manufactured within the United States.
The station, adjacent to the Downtown Library, will provide a major boost to the local economy, Brightline says. Approximately 1.8 million visitors annually by 2025 will use Brightline to visit Boca Raton and are projected to contribute up to $10.9 million annually in local spending.
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