From legal foes to partners, Martin County's relationship with Brightline has evolved

(NOTE: This column has been updated to provide better examples of the selection criteria Brightline used to make its decision.)

What a difference a decade makes.

Ten years ago, Martin County officials were gearing up for a legal battle with a company then known as All Aboard Florida in an attempt to stop higher-speed trains from whisking through the Treasure Coast.

Fast-forward to today, when community leaders will appear with executives from Brightline, All Aboard Florida's successor company, at a media event to officially announce plans for a passenger train station in downtown Stuart.

The announcement is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the station site, 500 SE Flagler Ave.

The trip from legal adversaries to partners wasn't as smooth as it could have been, but Brightline CEO Michael Reininger seems pleased with the outcome.

"It was an incredibly productive process," Reininger said in an exclusive telephone interview Friday. "We received a lot of input from a lot of stakeholders across the Treasure Coast."

Martin County leaders came full circle on Brightline

Back in the early days of that legal battle, the input coming out of Martin County was mostly negative. Many in the community were ready to pull out all the stops to halt the service.

Times can and do change, however.

After three years and more than $4.1 million spent by Martin County on legal expenses, the lawsuit resulted in a settlement agreement that calls for Brightline to build a station somewhere in Martin or St. Lucie County within five years of the launch of the company's service between West Palm Beach and Orlando.

Martin County, in partnership with the city of Stuart, not only dropped its opposition to Brightline's plans, but eventually came full circle and submitted the winning proposal for the station.

Reininger said Brightline's business concept has gained popularity as more and more people have had an opportunity to see it in action.

"As we grow and expand our business, we are finding lots of willing partners," he said.

Of course, not everyone is on board with Brightline's plans yet. Some critics say the project is a giant boondoggle that won't attract many riders, while others say the trains will be so popular that downtown Stuart will become congested with extra traffic.

Some critics contend Treasure Coast railroad crossings have become too dangerous since Brightline started using them, while others complain the safety horns train operators blow to alert motorists and pedestrians are too loud and should be silenced.

There's a theory floating around that the Brightline project is just political cover to get track upgrades needed for expanded freight service. It's hard to imagine the political resistance to get the needed improvements would have been greater if they were being done strictly to benefit freight service, but hey, it's a theory.

Reininger said acceptance seems to be increasing with the passage of time.

"Now that we are real and tangible and people have experienced us, it has created a different viewpoint," he said.

Station construction may happen ahead of schedule

Since the service between West Palm Beach and Orlando launched last fall, Brightline has until 2028 to get the Stuart station operational to be compliant with the settlement's terms. However, Reininger wants to reach that milestone well ahead of schedule.

"That is our hope," Reininger said. "We'd like to see this happen much quicker than that, maybe in a little over two years."

The next step will be transforming the proposal submitted by Stuart and Martin County into a legal contract. It was one of five proposals Brightline received after sending out a request last fall.

"We expect that to happen fairly quickly," Reininger said. "There really aren't any sticking points."

Location, site configuration worked in Stuart's favor

Planning and design for the station is likely to follow a template similar to plans used for other Brightline stations, which now extend from Orlando to Miami. Brightline has plans to expand to other major cities, including Tampa and eventually Jacksonville, in the years ahead.

Reininger said there were a number of factors working in favor of the Stuart location, including its proximity to the city's historic shopping district, the site configuration and the spacing between that location and others along Brightline's route.

"It's never a single thing that drives a decision one way or another," he added.

Reininger didn't offer any criticism of Fort Pierce, site of at least two of the other proposals.

Fort Pierce city officials and the developers of King's Landing submitted separate proposals to put the station in downtown Fort Pierce.

The details of two other proposals were never shared with the public. However, Brightline officials said they were submitted by private developers for sites in St. Lucie County.

The proposal Brightline selected was the only one submitted in Martin County.

More Treasure Coast stations? Maybe, but not anytime soon

Reininger didn't rule out the possibility of another Treasure Coast station at some point, but it isn't likely to happen anytime soon.

"If history has taught us anything, it's to never say never," Reininger said. "Right now, we want to stay focused on this important step."

That step involves working with erstwhile foes to make the Stuart station as good as it can be.

"Isn't that a terrific thing?" Reininger said of the evolution of Brightline's relationship with Martin County through the years.

It sure seems that way to me.

This column reflects the opinion of Blake Fontenay. Contact him via email at blake.fontenay@tcpalm.com or at 772-232-5424.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Brightline CEO Reininger cites 'terrific' dealings with Martin leaders