High-Value Rail Estate
T
RANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENTS HAVE BEEN
gaining momentum over the past fi ve years as a desire
for city life has intensifi ed. As a result, more cities are
emphasizing development around both existing and new
rail stations. A combination of public policy and private
investment is helping to transform these stations into
hubs of their communities.
“We’re seeing this all around the country now,” said
John Holak Jr., vice president and general manager of rail
and transit at Urban Engineers. “Some very historic but
dilapidated train stations are being reborn. Millennials
want to come back to these core cities. Many aren’t interested
in owning their own vehicle as a primary source
of transportation.”
Leveraging a passenger rail line to help drive economic
activity is the primary motivation for both government
offi cials and private investors. Th is has been the case for
more than 20 years when light rail systems were fi rst
being constructed.
26 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | JULY/AUGUST 2018
(ABOVE) BRIGHTLINE’S TOD component includes multiple
skyscrapers providing multi-family residential, retail,
office and hotel. The rendering is of the Brightline Miami
station. Urban Engineers has been working on the project
for the past three years.
BRIGHTLINE IS a new, privately funded rail system running
from Miami to Orlando, Florida. There is an impressive
TOD component that includes multiple skyscrapers providing
multi-family residential, retail, office and hotel.
BrightLine
BrightLine
Strategic planning and private investment are helping cities transform
rail stations into hustling, bustling engines of economic activity.
By Gregg Wartgow, contributing editor
/MassTransitmag.com