The Brightline Thread

[N830MH]

Originally Posted by Lakelander

Here you go!



full article: http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/n...rida-will.html

Here the video:

http://www.orlandoairports.net/meeti...1002_video.htm

[N830MH]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busin...,4042699.story

Orlando Airport board has been approves today for airport expansion.

Let the speculation begin.

[atlantaguy]

^I would say this seals the deal. Great news for my former State.

[Lakelander]

AAF confirms ownership of recently purchased land in DT West Palm Beach. An AAF station and TOD will be built there:

In the block between the FEC tracks and Rosemary Avenue to the west and bordered by Datura and Evernia streets to the north and south, the company has purchased $5.5 million of property. Development surrounding the station likely will move FECI as far along to recuperating its $1.5 billion investment as much as ticket sales.

The station itself is expected to serve passengers with retail shops for coffee, magazines and travel amenities like toothbrushes. But the surrounding development could include a hotel and residential condo, company executives have said.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/bu...acres-f/nbPxz/

[N830MH]

Will all the building to be demolished?

[electricron]

Originally Posted by N830MH

Will all the building to be demolished?

Yes, I believe those numbered in the photo will be demolished. (1) and (2) will be the station location, while (3) and (4) will be needed to provide parking and possibly other uses, residential or commercial, above the parking garages.

[waltlantz]

I'm I looking at that right seeing a single track for the FEC line?

Hows that gonna work with AAF AND TriRail?

[BrennanW]

Since the AAF project hasn't yet begun construction, they're going to add another track and create grade separation for much of the line. Right now, most of the FEC line is a single track.

[ardecila]

Double-track: yes.
Grade separation: no.

The only exception is in downtown Miami, where several blocks of the rail line will be elevated to form a terminal station.

[brickell]

Tri-rail runs on the CSX track further west. There's talk of extending it onto the FEC line, but that hasn't gotten anywhere lately that I'm aware of.

[eleven=11]

was there new news?
they picked a site for Fort Lauderdale......

[Lakelander]

Yes:

AAF announced their plan for the new Ft Lauderdale station and associated development.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-all-a...,2083396.story

http://www.businesswire.com/news/hom...ation-Location

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/bu...station/nb2Wj/

Per the SunSentinel :

FORT LAUDERDALE —
A largely ignored area at the north edge of downtown could be transformed into a new city center, with housing and retail rising around a landmark rail station that connects people to trains, buses and streetcars.

All Aboard Florida, the private Miami-Orlando passenger rail service, announced Friday it will build a 25,000-square-foot station adjacent to the Florida East Coast Railway tracks on Northwest Second Avenue, between Broward Boulevard and Northwest Fourth Street.

"We selected this area since it's strategically located in close proximity to cultural, entertainment and employment centers and connections to other transportation options," said Michael Reininger, president and chief development officer of the $1.5 billion privately funded venture.

It is the last of four sites to be picked; the others are based in the downtowns of Miami and West Palm Beach, and at Orlando International Airport.

All Aboard Florida, owned by Florida East Coast Industries of Coral Gables, is buying up other parcels near the station site to spur development, which could include a mix of high-rise condos, apartments, shops and restaurants or offices. The other South Florida stations similarly are expected to be magnets for development.

see link above for full article.

[Lakelander]

Also, Tampa isn't happy....

The cover of this weeks TBJ says "On Track to be Left Behind" with another called "All Aboard or Out of the Loop". They dragged Hussein Cumber of AAF over to town to give more details, though he said he had no information on any future plans in any location.

Tampa Bay Business Journal:
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/....html?page=all

http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/....html?page=all

[Eightball]

Thanks for the updates Lakelander, very interesting.

I hope AAF does in fact happen. Will be awesome for the state of FL if it does.

[atlantaguy]

Originally Posted by Eightball

Thanks for the updates Lakelander, very interesting.

I hope AAF does in fact happen. Will be awesome for the state of FL if it does.

Oh, this is definitely happening. This is OLD money (by Florida standards) at work here, and they know exactly what they are doing.

There is absolutely a market for this.

[Jasonhouse]

Rick Scott screwed Tampa so hard.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by Jasonhouse

Rick Scott screwed Tampa so hard.

Really? Even FEC desires transit near their planned stations. What transit does Tampa Bay have connecting all its cities together, for example Tampa with St. Petersburg? Orlando, Kissimmee, and Sanford will have Sun Rail, while Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach already have Tri Rail.
Additionally, FEC's AAF will be privately financed, I wish I could say the same for the ex-HSR proposal from Tampa. Tampa should look at establishing fast mass transit lines before expecting faster intercity trains than the existing Amtrak service.

[Lakelander]

The ill-fated HSR project between Tampa and Orlando was supposed to funded and operated with private dollars for the first 30 years. I believe it would have failed as proposed but I still would have taken the free infrastructure. There was no reason, that infrastructure could not have been used by conventional commuter rail or as a new Central Florida freight corridor. However, I also agree that the Bay area needs to get its transit act together. There's a lot of potential there if the politicians stop tripping over their own two feet.

[Lakelander]

We must be talking about two different HSR proposals. The one that Scott killed wasn't using state or local dollars. The only thing we did was send the federal money to other states for their rail projects. So we failed if the goal was to save "tax dollars."

[N830MH]

Originally Posted by Jasonhouse

Rick Scott screwed Tampa so hard.

That very stupid. He didn't do it. Shame on him!! He should have a chance. He won't be re-elected in 2014. He will not going to be governor anymore.