Brightline broke ground on its newest development in downtown Fort Lauderdale, a seven-story parking structure that will provide easy and convenient parking for Brightline riders when the new train service launches in mid-2017.
The parking garage, located adjacent to the Brightline train station at NW 2nd Avenue between Broward Boulevard and NW 4th Street, will be approximately 218,204 square feet and provide parking for 576 vehicles. There will also be about 1,570 square feet of ground-floor retail for future tenants. The architectural façade of the new parking structure will feature perforated metal panels and lightweight engineered aluminum shapes that emulate the iconic architecture of the Brightline station building, including its signature V-columns. The façade will also be illuminated at night with an energy efficient LED lighting system, similar to the one being utilized at the station.
“Having this parking structure in close proximity to the station ensures that our guests will be able to easily park and quickly hop onto their awaiting train to take them to either West Palm Beach or Miami,” said Scott Sanders, Brightline’s executive vice president of development and construction. “Our backyards are about to get bigger with the advent of the Brightline service as we can take the train to Miami to see a sporting event or to West Palm Beach for a relaxing dinner at one of the many restaurants on Clematis Street and it will only take 30 minutes each way from Fort Lauderdale.”
In addition to parking, 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 Broward Center for the Performing Arts.
Fort Lauderdale-based architects Adache Group is the architect of record. Moss & Associates, the general contractor overseeing the Fort Lauderdale Brightline station construction, will also oversee this project.
Crews from Moss have been making progress on the construction of the Brightline station in Fort Lauderdale. The crews just finished pouring the final V column pieces for the top half of the station structure and these will be placed in the next few weeks. The concourse level is taking shape and with that, the concrete pour for the northern concourse and the security checkpoint bridge area was recently completed. This pour spanned the existing NW 2nd Avenue. Work continues with the addition of reinforcing steel for the concourse level at the south concourse. Within the lobby structure, metal framing and overhead mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems are well underway. In addition, the support steel for the lobby’s entry doors was installed. The “topping out” of the building is scheduled for mid-September. For more information on the progress of Brightline’s trains and stations, read our weekly blog updates.
Construction of the parking facility is expected to be completed by mid-2017, and the garage will be open when Brightline begins operations between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.