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Stuart mayor says Brightline station will have much lower price tag, cost roughly $13 million

'City has no interest in wasting the taxpayers' money,' Mayor Campbell Rich says

Plans for the Brightline train to stop in Stuart are creating a lot of noise. The price has been the biggest question from residents and the Stuart City Commission.

By: Cassandra Garcia

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STUART, Fla. — Plans for the Brightline train to stop in Stuart are creating a lot of noise.

"I hope they deny it all because it's a privately-owned company, and we shouldn’t be paying for it," Martin County resident Bob Smith said.

"Yes, it's going to cost money but to get back and forth and to go places you want to get to without taking your car, I guess you have to pay the price," Camille Braud, a Martin County visitor, added.

Camille Braud discusses the positives and negatives that come with having a Brightline station in Stuart.

The price has been the biggest question from residents and the Stuart City Commission.

This week, newly elected City Commissioner Sean Reed asked to review the Brightline agreement at the next commission meeting.

"The biggest thing was the cost," Reed said. "That was the No. 1 concern was the cost of it."

The original $60 million plan was to be funded by $15 million from Brightline, $15 million from Martin County and up to $30 million from Stuart.

City Commissioner Sean Reed speaks with WPTV about the cost of building a Brightline station in Stuart.

However, the lease agreement that's already been signed by the city of Stuart allocates up to $30 million in city funds to build a station and $15 million from Martin County. But Stuart Mayor Campbell Rich told WPTV reporter Cassandra Garcia that he expects the price tag to be far lower.

"Approximately 13 [million dollars]," Rich said. "This will be the smallest station on the line."

Stuart Mayor Campbell Rich explains why he believes the cost of a Brightline station won't be as much as what's being estimated.

The mayor said that cost will be split between the city and Martin County at $6.5 million each. When it's all said and done, he feels confident much of the cost will not fall on taxpayers at all.

"I'm very confident that the grants will come through," Rich said. "The city has no interest in wasting the taxpayers' money."

Residents are hoping that's true.

Read more of WPTV's coverage of Brightline below: