Brightline Breaks Ground for Boca Station

Video by North Palm Beach Life

BOCA RATON_ Today, Brightline reached another milestone with the official groundbreaking for the new Boca Raton station and parking garage, scheduled to open by the end of the year.  Brightline President Patrick Goddard was joined by Boca's mayor as well as other government dignitaries to man the shovels as a Brightline train passed behind them.

In an interview prior, Goddard said the new stop, along with the Adventura station also under construction, would add about four minutes each to the ride between West Palm and Miami. Below is the full press release. --Gerry Barker

Brightline President Patrick Goddard, fourth from the right, is joined by Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer
and other dignitaries to for the groundbreaking (NPBL Photo),

Brightline President Patrick Goddard arrives in one of Brightline's new Mobility vehicles (NPBL Photo)

MIAMI (January 25, 2022) – Brightline, the only provider of modern, eco-friendly, intercity rail in
America, breaks ground on its new Boca Raton station with Kaufman Lynn Construction, Inc. as the
construction manager for the garage and train station. Once completed, the station will be Brightline’s
fifth operational in the state, connecting travelers in Boca Raton to Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale,
West Palm Beach, and soon Orlando. Located on a 1.8-acre site across from Mizner Park and adjacent to
the downtown library, Brightline’s Boca station, designed by Zyscovich Architects, will feature
approximately 38,000 square feet of space which will include its signature autonomous MRKT and
premium lounge among other station amenities. The station will offer a seamless travel experience
through modern technology, including a cashless environment, touchless turnstiles and high-speed WiFi.
Brightline's Boca station is expected to be complete in the fall of 2022.

Brightline’s president, Patrick Goddard, was joined at the groundbreaking ceremony today by
Congressman Ted Deutch, Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer, Jorge Pesquera of Discover the Palm Beaches,
in addition to members of the Boca city council and elected officials. The groundbreaking of Brightline’s
Boca station follows the commencement of construction for the station's parking garage, announced in December of 2021.

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NPBL Photo

“As a premier business and leisure destination, Boca Raton is a perfect fit for Brightline and will be an
integral part of our network that will further connect the state of Florida,” said Patrick Goddard,
president of Brightline. “Brightline stations help enhance the local communities and economies where we operate and provide travelers with quick access to state-wide lifestyle and tourist destinations. We look forward to building a long and productive partnership with the Boca community.”

In 2021, Brightline was awarded a $16.3 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety
Improvement (CRISI) Grant from the FRA to fund a portion of the construction of the Brightline Train Station, parking garage and associated rail infrastructure. In addition to the CRISI grant, the City has provided a commitment of $9.9 million towards funding the parking garage. The balance of the project, approximately $30 million, will be funded by Brightline. Construction of the Boca Raton station is expected to create more than 480 jobs during construction while contributing more than $23 million in wages.

The station is expected to strengthen ties between Boca Raton and South and Central Florida. By
connecting to the broader Brightline system, local employers will have access to a bigger employee pool
and workers will gain access to an additional 89,000 office jobs within average commute times. This
investment will continue to make Boca Raton one of the most desirable and vibrant places to live, work
and visit. In addition to benefitting commuters and other local residents, Brightline will serve a broad
leisure travel population, and will spur increased tourism to Boca Raton.

“Brightline will be a game-changer for Boca Raton, and especially our downtown,” said Mayor Scott
Singer. “We look forward to welcoming the many riders who will work at our thriving businesses and
visit our cultural, dining, and shopping attractions, and for our residents to connect to a major
transportation network from Miami to Orlando. Thanks to our strong partnership with Brightline and
support of our Congressional delegation for an FRA grant, we can’t wait to say all aboard in Boca
Raton!”

Also under construction is the 455-space parking garage that will service Brightline’s Boca station and
visitors to the downtown library, who will have dedicated, covered, and complimentary spaces on the
first floor. In October 2021, Brightline completed construction of the new Community Garden for the
Junior League of Boca Raton, as well as a temporary parking lot for the downtown library. Brightline
managed and funded the construction of both projects as part of the agreement to build the new
station.

“Kaufman Lynn Construction is excited to be building this new station and garage with Brightline, the
City of Boca Raton and the Federal Railroad Administration,” said Michael Kaufman, CEO of Kaufman
Lynn Construction. “The entire team is excited to help connect South Florida and Central Florida with
this Brightline rail stop.”

Brightline currently serves Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, with its expansion station in
Aventura opening in 2022. Brightline’s current construction project to Orlando is more than 70 percent
complete with over 1,300 daily workers on the job tallying more than four million hours of work. In
January of 2022, Brightline began daily crew training and qualifying test runs between West Palm Beach
and Cocoa. Over an eight-year period, Brightline’s corridor between Miami and Orlando will result in
$6.4 billion in economic impact while creating more than 10,000 jobs. Construction of the highly
anticipated expansion to Orlando is on track to be complete by the end of 2022, ​​with service to begin in
early 2023.
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