Shaw and the Miami-based company Brightline began discussions on a station that would cover the Gasworx site, Tampa Park Apartments, and a 14-acre area that was previously targeted for a Tampa Bay Rays stadium, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
The two parties have entered into a memorandum of understanding, a non-financially binding agreement that allows Brightline to conduct an environmental analysis, says TBBJ.
Shaw said his ideal vision is a multimodal transit station on one of the three properties—a place where rail lines, bus rapid transit, streetcar and trolley service come together.
The rail line would shorten the trip from Tampa to Orlando to one hour, with round-trip tickets costing just over $70. Brightline has been attempting to connect the two cities via rail since 2018, when it proposed a bid to build an intercity rail line along Interstate 4.
"We've always recognized the importance of connecting our entire system to Tampa. Tampa is growing, it's exciting and we want to be part of its future,” said Brightline’s senior vice president of corporate affairs Ben Porritt in a statement.
This announcement comes several months after the Tampa Bay Times reported that Shaw had purchased Tampa Park Apartments, one of the three properties mentioned in the negotiations. All Tampa Park tenants have until November 1 to move out, and Shaw plans to provide about $800,000 in relocation assistance.
As of now, there is no timetable for the station’s development nor for the expiration date for the memorandum of understanding. In January, NPR pointed out that Florida's Brightline railroad is nation's deadliest.
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This article appears in Sep 10-16, 2020.