The Stuart City Council put the brakes on a Martin County Brightline station Monday night, voting 3-2 to revoke Brightline's ground lease agreement with the city and to cancel the agreement with Martin County.
The close vote took place after hours of public input and deliberation. While many supporters of the station came to the meeting, at issue was the potential $60 million price tag. A revamped plan eliminated a $30 million parking garage to lower the total cost, but the city and county were on the hook for the entirety of the first $45 million of the entire project.
It was early March when Brightline announced that it had chosen Martin County and Stuart to be the location for its Treasure Coast stop. Stuart was selected from five submissions, with a Fort Pierce station said to be another finalist.
What this means for the future of a Treasure Coast Brightline stop remains unclear. Brightline has not yet put out an official response.