With Brightline considering building a station in Tampa for its high-speed rail, Tampa developer and entrepreneur Darryl Shaw envisions a multimodal hub where people from outside the area can travel here, then commute on bus rapid transit, future light rail and trolly.
Shaw now has a memorandum of understanding with Brightline involving three properties he owns in the downtown corridor, but there are still miles to go before any decision is reached.
First, Brightline must submit a request to the state to conduct an environmental impact study for the corridor between Orlando and Tampa.
Brightline is a high-speed passenger system that is “redefining train travel in America,” according to its website. “Launched in 2018 in Florida, Brightline was designed to take cars off the road and offer millions of travelers an eco-friendly way to move between the nation’s most visited city pairs.”
“We have a memorandum of understanding in place so they can begin to do research on what might be the optimal location for a station, should it occur,” said Shaw, CEO of Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners. “They have choices on the location, which are all at the intersection of downtown, Channelside, Water Street and Ybor City.”
There are no designs yet for a potential station, Shaw said. “But I am excited and think it would be wonderful for the Tampa Bay area, if it actually transpires. I’d love to see a system here like you see in New York City and cities in Europe where you can move from one transportation modality to another.”
Brightline representatives did not get back to Modern Globe for further details.
