FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – May 13, 2016 – The Brightline station in Fort Lauderdale marked a major milestone today as concrete for the first “V” column of the building was poured. Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler, along with County and City Commissioners, left a lasting impression on the V Column as they put their initials, along with the signature Brightline loop, in the fresh concrete.
“We have received such strong support for Brightline from the Mayor, Commissioners and community leaders here in Fort Lauderdale. We invited them to leave their mark on one of our iconic V columns that will become part of the station structure,” said Julie Edwards, Brightline's chief marketing officer. “This marks a significant step forward in bringing this transformative development to Fort Lauderdale. Soon we will start vertical construction, putting the walls and “V” columns into place. In just about one year, we'll be opening the station and beginning Brightline service to Miami and West Palm Beach.”
The V columns provide a defining architectural element to all three of Brightline's South Florida stations, which have been designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), one of the largest and most influential architecture, interior design, engineering, and urban planning firms in the world, in association with Zyscovich Architects, an integrated urban design, architecture, and interior design firm headquartered in downtown Miami. Moss & Associates is overseeing the construction of the Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach train stations.
In Fort Lauderdale, 16 V columns are being constructed on site, weighing up to 140,000 pounds. The first “V” column is expected to be lifted and set into place before the end of May.
Opening in mid-2017, the Brightline Fort Lauderdale train station will serve as a transportation hub for the community. Brightline is redefining travel in South Florida by offering express, inter-city passenger service between West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami beginning in summer 2017.
About Brightline
Brightline will redefine what it means to travel by train in America with express intercity passenger rail service arriving 2017, providing an important transportation alternative to connect Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando. The service will ease the stress of traffic, provide a simple and intuitive experience from door to destination, and foster new opportunities to explore more of Southeast Florida. Brightline is the only privately owned, operated and maintained passenger rail system in the United States. For more information, visit www.gobrightline.com or follow on Facebook.