Attending the ceremony were Brightline President Mike Reininger, Moss & Associates Chairman and CEO Bob Moss, Broward County Vice Mayor Barbara Sharief, Fort Lauderdale Mayor John P. “Jack” Seiler and local community leaders.
“The topping out of our Fort Lauderdale station marks another important milestone in the development of our Brightline train service,” said Reininger. “More than 65 percent of the work has been completed on the entire system between Miami and West Palm Beach, and our team is expanding each week as we look forward to launching service in less than a year.”
With 5,000 cubic yards of concrete poured for the station and the 16-V columns installed for the ground floor and upper-level lobby, work will now commence on the installation of the escalators, perimeter glass and roofing. Additional concrete will be poured for interior aspects, such as walls and slabs.
“The Fort Lauderdale Brightline station will create a transportation hub, connecting Broward County to Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties,” said Vice Mayor Sharief. “It’s wonderful to see so many workers here today who have helped build the station and this new train service will be creating many more jobs and opportunities for residents of Broward County.”
Moss of Moss & Associates, the general contracting firm for the Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach stations, stated, “It has been a privilege to build the Brightline stations in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. This is an iconic project in concept as well as execution and upon completion, it will change the transportation paradigm in South Florida.”
The Fort Lauderdale station, which spans 60,000 square feet, is located along NW 2nd Avenue between Broward Boulevard and NW 4th Street. The new station is already revitalizing the northern area of downtown, and plans were announced for new developments in the area, including housing, commercial and hotel.
The station will allow access to Broward b-Cyle bike share, rental cars and shuttle services, as well as connections to the Sun Trolley, Broward County Transit system and future Wave Streetcar. The station is also within walking distance to City Hall, the Historic District, Museum of Science, Riverwalk area and the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.
The Fort Lauderdale station was planned and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) in association with Miami-based architects Zyscovich.
Photo: Mike Reininger, Brightline President; Robert McKinzie, Fort Lauderdale Commissioner; Barbara Sharief, Broward County Vice Mayor; Jack Seiler, Fort Lauderdale Mayor; Bob Moss, Chairman & CEO of Moss & Associates; Vincent Signorello, President & CEO, Florida East Coast Industries; Julie Edwards, Brightline Chief Marketing Officer.