Passenger Trains > Development of passenger stations

We read about Brightline and their real estate development around the stations at Miami, Ft. Lauderdale & Palm Beach.  Actually their model is Henry Flagler and the FEC railroad of old, which had resorts, hotels, restaurants, etc.  What I like about the Brightline model is that they have turned these stations into commerce centers for these cities.  Miami Central has two apartment buildings (30 & 33 stories), two 12 story office buildings, three other office buildings, 130,000 sq. ft. of retail space.  Tri-Rail commuter trains will call at the stub-end Miami Central Station after a connecting track is completed, relatively soon.  This $2B development means a potent combination: real estate and rail transportation.  Yes, I hope the developers make a good profit.  They have gambled big bucks on this station etc.  

Ft. Lauderdale and W. Palm Beach are much smaller real estate developments, but their size and scope are still a total change for these communities and for real estate there and for rail transportation.  The stations will be come magnets for these communities.  Lots of people riding trains, busses, walking, etc.   Lots of people working every day in and around these stations.  

My thesis is this: Amtrak needs to form a real estate corporation and investigate where Amtrak owns the stations and how similar development could be done with local community partners.  Even when the local community owns the station, Amtrak could still be the catalyst for healthy development.  This idea would be almost solely funded by the private developers.  

I live near Cleveland, Ohio and the Amtrak lakeshore station is a ramshackle piece of crap built about 30+ years ago.  But it sits in the middle of immense development possibilities.  Even though Amtrak's four trains (29-30, 48-49) stop in the middle of the night, there is a huge future for this station area.  Local transit advocates had to drag the city of Cleveland to consider building a multi-modal terminal at the east end of the Amtrak platform for intercity busses, local busses and Amtrak.  For about $100+M it could be built.  SInce the Amtrak station is next to downtown, the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland Browns Stadium, the Science Museum, etc., the area is ripe for huge development by private money.  

I think in a similar manner other stations could be surrounded by significant private development.  Galesburg, IL is an example of a station with 8 trains per day, and likely a city where they would warmly welcome such development.  Even a lonely place like Las Vegas, NM could be enhanced as a tourist mecca (Taos, sking, hiking, etc.) and the station area could come alive.  

Amtrak needs vision.  They don't need to cut off station agents and make stations unmanned rooms, open two hours per day.  They need to go exactly in the OPPOSITE direction.  I can imagine local communities forming development committees and gaining excitement about public transporation in their community.  

Amtrak has shown they can potentially be good partners in development at Chicago Union Station or Philadelphia 30th St.  We need alot more vision; not locking the door and rolling up the rug.  

The IG would have a field day if Amtrak got into the real estate business. We sure do not need any more complications with where Amtrak's subsidy goes.

Maybe something a little more  indirect would be better. Perhaps give Amtrak a portion of the property tax increases surrounding stations which it owns and improves.

Lots of good suggestions.

Amtrak development of Penn Station NY isn't encouraging though.

Posted from Android

taxes in big cities are horrendous, does amtrak pay taxes on depots as a quasi public entity?  I am just holding my breathe till the regime change, can't focus on anything new , just trying to keep the status quo



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/19 20:50 by dan.

dan Wrote:
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> taxes in big cities are horrendous, amtrak pay
> taxes on depots? 

That is not what I was suggesting. When the surrounding development happens and property tax revenue increases from that, Amtrak would receive a portion of that incremental tax revenue.

Our county uses the incremental tax increases from the renewable energy businesses in the Mojave-Tehachapi area to offer competitive grants up to $10K to local businesses to
spruce up their propertry. It's called "Renewbiz" and it works.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

Was there any interest in the Ohio legislature for 3-C ?

Posted from Android

ts1457 Wrote:
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> The IG would have a field day if Amtrak got into
> the real estate business. We sure do not need any
> more complications with where Amtrak's subsidy
> goes.
>
> Maybe something a little more  indirect would be
> better. Perhaps give Amtrak a portion of the
> property tax increases surrounding stations which
> it owns and improves.

Amtrak has been, and already is, knee deep in real estate development of various properties - especially along the NEC and at the yards it owns. IG already has been critical of over involvement.