Passenger Trains > FL: Did Fort Pierce make the wrong BrightLine choice?

The town of Fort Pierce recently irejected Virgin Trains / BrightLine 's proposal to develop a large downtown site as a train station / hotel /  apartment / retail site, selecting a proposal from Audobon Properties instead.  Audobon offered a similar hotel / apartment / retail proposal with space for a train station. Provided Fort Pierce gives them the seven million dollar property for free. That's a big "provided". BrightLine had offered to pay for the site, and have a revenue share.

One local observer opines that Fort Pierce may have shot themselves in the foot by not selecting BrightLine. In this view, BrightLine could build a station on the Audobon property, or the next block, or elsewhere.  Elsewhere bring Stuart, or Vero Beach.  Vero, which is north, has said they don't want the station. Stuart has been ambiguous. This observer says that Vero could change its mind by 2024, or whenever new tracks actually spike down.

https://www.tcpalm.com/story/opinion/editorials/2019/06/17/did-fort-pierce-lose-inside-track-virgin-trains/1475510001/
 

Seems to be the norm with a lot of cities now days. Shoot first, then say "S*it".

As a "veteran" of development projects and having seen local government approval processes up close, who knows what sort of undisclosed "side deals" were part of this decision. And as Lackawanna notes, this is far from the final chapter. It looks like the "winner" has attached potentially untenable conditions. Fortress/FEC/Brightline/Virgin (or whatever they call themselves these days) may end up building the project in the end.

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA