By Mary Hladky
At long last, Brightline is about to start preliminary work on its Boca Raton station.
The company is planning to begin constructing a temporary parking lot in March, Ali Soule, Brightline chief of staff, said in an email.
The parking lot will be located immediately south of the Downtown Library.
The work also means the Junior League of Boca Raton’s Community Garden will begin relocating to Meadows Park, a site that satisfied the Junior League and gardeners. Brightline agreed to spend up to $300,000 on this project.
The garden was located along the FEC railway tracks east of the library.
Soule did not respond to a question on when station construction would begin. The city has leased 1.8 city-owned acres east of the library to the upscale rail company for the station and garage.
Although Brightline halted rail service between Miami and West Palm Beach last March because of the coronavirus pandemic, it has moved forward on constructing stations in Boca Raton, Aventura and PortMiami.
It also is moving at full speed to build track from West Palm Beach to Orlando. That work is nearly halfway complete.
In January, Brightline said it is likely to resume rail service at the end of this year.
City leaders and business groups are thrilled to have the station, saying it will be a game-changer for Boca Raton. Brightline officials said last year that the station would be completed in 2022. Ú
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