COCOA, Fla. — Brevard County commissioners gave the green light on a proposal that will make $5 million in tourism tax funds available to pay for a new Brightline station in the Cocoa area.

What You Need To Know

  • Brevard County commissioners approved utilizing a $5 million grant to help pay for the nearly $75 million Brightline station in Cocoa

  • The city of Cocoa says the Brightline stop would be a "transformative" project for the entire Space Coast

  • The county plans to seek additional federal funding in order to pay for the project

The Tourism Development Council previously voted in favor of the reimbursable capital facilities grant to go toward the approximately $75 million project.

County commissioners now must seek additional federal funding for a new 7,500-9,000 square-foot station with surface parking, which would be built adjacent to the existing railway off Clearlake Road, just south of State Road 528.

City of Cocoa spokesperson Samantha Segner said a Brightline stop wouldn’t just be an economic boom for the area, but a “transformative” project for the entire Space Coast.

While the county is still in the discussion and planning phase, some residents and business owners say they are excited about what the new stop may bring, and that it can't come soon enough.

“Opportunity is knocking at our door," said Brevard County District 5 comissioner and chair Jason Steele. "I think of the field of dreams every time I think of this, built it, they will come.”

Others like Audrey Stewart say they're not opposed to the Brightline station coming in, but she wants to make sure the people in the county are taken care of first.

Her plea comes after she says her business, Harbor Auto Restoration, was negatively impacted by the Brightline construction in Melbourne.

“Unfortunately our business continues to deteriorate, the property is eroding away, we’ve had to shut down our business on multiple occasions due to flooding,” she said.

Ben Porritt, senior vice president of Brightline, says the project is still a few years out.

“It’s dependent on the federal grant which will be applied for and submitted at the end of May," he said. "Then we’ll spend a year designing the station, going through environmental approvals and then we have a 24 month timeframe to build the station.”

As for what can be expected at the station, Porritt says it will be a transportation hub which will have buses as well as ride and bikeshare options.