COCOA, Fla. – A setback for Brevard County’s big plans to welcome a long-anticipated train station for Florida’s fastest railroad - Brightline.
Earlier this year, Brightline made it official that it would build a station in a few years where trains from south Florida make the turn west toward the Orlando airport.
The space at US-1 and 528 has been called the Cocoa curve.
But now, the Federal Railroad Administration has rejected giving the city a $47 million grant, the largest chunk of funding construction.
The total cost of the project is $83 million.
Cocoa’s communication director, Samantha Senger, told News 6 reporter James Sparvero that the city will now apply for another federal grant of the same amount.
In March, Senger called the future station a, “huge, transformative project” that would boost the local economy. The site is close to Cocoa’s Walmart.
On Friday, shopper Stephanie Carder of Cocoa said she looked forward to riding the train at the station, even though she originally wanted the station built on Rosa L. Jones Drive where Cocoa once had a different train station. “I wish it would’ve been there, but bringing it over here would be great,” Carder said. “Anywhere as long as it’s in Cocoa.” The city has said it believes any location within Cocoa will benefit all of the city. Port Canaveral is directly east of the Cocoa curve site and the Orlando airport, where Brightline’s Miami to Orlando route ends, is due west.
Carder pointed out the city’s proximity to those popular destinations and Cocoa’s growth, itself. “We have Amazon here that just opened up so I think we’re growing,” she said. “And I’m very excited about the train, very excited.”
Senger said Friday that the city will hold an upcoming meeting to rewrite their application to give them a better chance to get the big grant.
Senger said she was unaware of why the previous application was rejected.
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