'Brightline made the wrong decision': Fort Pierce reacts to train service choosing Stuart

Fort Pierce had mixed emotions following the news of Brightline choosing Stuart for its Treasure Coast station.

Residents, business owners and government officials were bummed Tuesday but tried to stay positive that the high-speed passenger rail service didn’t choose either of the two proposals submitted for Fort Pierce.

Fort Pierce Mayor Linda Hudson said the city still hadn’t been notified by Brightline as promised, but she had time to process what appeared to be leaked information.

“I think they made the wrong decision,” Hudson said, “but that’s their decision to make.”

City officials are waiting to take down banners and billboards and to discontinue their podcast, which stands at one episode, until they officially get word from Brightline, she said.

Hudson doesn’t know the reason Stuart was chosen over Fort Pierce, but she still could see a station coming in the future.

“Fort Pierce is on the move,” Hudson said. “If they change their mind, come on down — or up.”

Pete Tesch, president of the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County, said he was happy for Stuart but disappointed at the announcement.

“They put in a fine proposal,” Tesch said, “but, honestly, we think Brightline made the wrong decision.”

Fort Pierce is growing from an economic and business perspective with many development opportunities, Tesch said. He could see Brightline coming back in the future to build a station anyway.

Downtown business owners agreed. Kristina Gibbons, a Fort Pierce native and owner of Varsity Sport Shop next to the railroad tracks, said her city made more sense because it’s in the middle. Plus, it has several distribution centers and a new Buc-ee’s coming west of town.

“It’s just a bummer,” Gibbons said. “I feel like we get skipped over a lot. But maybe that’s for the best. We can keep our small-town charm.”

Residents like her won’t drive south to Stuart to take the train north to Orlando, and they won’t take the train from Stuart to Palm Beach International Airport when it’s easier just to drive there.

“We need to be able to bring a lot of people in without adding extra traffic, so that’s probably my biggest bummer,” Gibbons said. “We’re still going to have to drive everywhere.”

She still would welcome a station in the future, but it doesn’t make a difference to her business because it’s getting busier anyway.

“It’s not like it’s the end of the world,” Gibbons said. “It’s more that it was an opportunity for the locals and for people coming to visit to see how awesome we are.”

Downtown restaurant owners feel the same way. Even on the slowest day at Sunrise City Cafe, owner Nichole Parker still has a wait for brunch.

“I don’t have enough seats as it is,” Parker said. “I would love it if came here, but I’m OK if it doesn’t. We’re going to roll either way.”

She didn’t know if downtown was ready for it, but she knows growth is inevitable for her small town.

“I was a little worried we weren’t going to be prepared for it,” Parker said. “I was worried about parking and what the congestion would bring here.”

Still, she would welcome a station for personal reasons, taking the train down to a Miami Heat basketball game or up to the Orlando International Airport.

“It’s rolling through here anyway,” Parker said, “so it would be cool if it stopped.”

In the end, it’s a win for tourism across the Treasure Coast, said Charlotte Bireley, director of tourism and marketing for Visit St. Lucie. All three tourism offices in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties work together to promote the entire region.

“We know when visitors come to our area, they often cross county lines without even knowing it,” Birely said. “We stand ready to welcome these visitors coming via Brightline through Stuart and Martin County and look forward to the positive impact that it will bring to St. Lucie County and the entire Treasure Coast region.”

Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter and columnist dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com. Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at profile.tcpalm.com/newsletters/manage.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Fort Pierce reacts to Brightline station coming to Stuart