Brightline 'Tops Out' Lauderdale Station

Credit: Brightline

(Press Release) -- MIAMI -- ​Today, Brightline “topped out” its Fort Lauderdale train station, signaling the completion of the station structure and a shift of focus toward interior outfitting and finish efforts. To celebrate, Broward County Vice Mayor Barbara Sharief, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler and local community leaders helped raise the American flag, alongside the Brightline and Moss & Associates flags. This marks another major milestone as work continues to progress in anticipation of the Brightline express train service launch in mid-2017, connecting Fort Lauderdale to Miami and West Palm Beach.

“Brightline will be a much-needed transportation alternative and we are thrilled with the momentum and increased development its station is bringing to the City of Fort Lauderdale,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor John P. “Jack” Seiler. “Fort Lauderdale is a world-class destination, welcoming more tourists each year and benefiting from a significant amount of private investment in new developments. With Brightline, we’ll have a transportation system that furthers our goal of being a fully connected city.”

“The Fort Lauderdale Brightline station will create a transportation hub, connecting Broward County to Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties,” said Broward County Vice Mayor Barbara Sharief. “It’s wonderful to see so many workers here today who have helped build the station and this new train service will be creating many more jobs and opportunities for residents of Broward County.”

To date, more than 5,000 cubic yards of concrete have been poured for the station. The 16-V columns that flank the ground floor and upper-level lobby have been erected and installed, and work will now commence on the installation of the escalators, perimeter glass and roofing. Additional concrete will be poured for interior aspects, such as walls and slabs. About 100 workers have brought the project to life, and the topping out ceremony celebrates these accomplishments.

“The topping out of our Fort Lauderdale station marks another important milestone in the development of our Brightline train service,” said Mike Reininger, Brightline president. “More than 65 percent of the work has been completed on the entire system between Miami and West Palm Beach, and our team is expanding each week as we look forward to launching service in less than a year.”

“It has been a privilege to build the Brightline stations in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach,” said Bob Moss, Chairman and CEO of Moss & Associates, the general contracting firm for the Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach stations. “This is an iconic project in concept as well as execution and upon completion, it will change the transportation paradigm in South Florida.”

The station, located along NW 2nd Avenue between Broward Boulevard and NW 4th Street, spans 60,000 square feet in the newly named “Flagler Village” area and is already revitalizing the northern area of downtown. Plans for new developments in close proximity to the station, including housing, commercial and hotel, have been announced. 

Brightline will offer a variety of other modes of transportation to get riders to the stations and to their final destinations. In Fort Lauderdale, riders will have access to ride-sharing/taxi options, Broward b-Cyle bike share, rental cars and shuttle services, as well as be able to connect to the Sun Trolley, Broward County Transit system and future Wave Streetcar. In addition, the station is within walking distance to City Hall, the Historic District, Museum of Science, Riverwalk area and the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. 

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