The introduction of All Aboard Florida’s Brightline rail system service from Fort Lauderdale to West Palm Beach has brought a much-needed alternative form of public transportation for many in the area. Unlike the Tri-Rail train service, which runs on tracks west of Interstate 95, Brightline runs on tracks east of 95, which makes it a more suitable option for those commuting to downtown neighborhoods.

With expectations that Brightline will be extended to Miami later this year — and eventually to Orlando — there is hope that the high-speed train will transform the region in ways never experienced before.

It seems that developers are bullish on Brightline’s potential and, thus, have been pursuing new projects at a feverish pitch. Following are some of the projects that Brightline has helped bring to life.

MiamiCentral

Rendering courtesy of Miami Worldcenter 

There’s probably no greater example of Brightline’s influence than plans for the MiamiCentral station. Spanning over six downtown city blocks, it is set to become a mixed-use development, anchored by a transit hub, which the region has yet to see. It will feature the city’s first transportation hub connecting all of Miami’s public transportation offerings, including Tri-Rail, Metrorail, and Metromover. When completed, it will feature Park-Line Towers with over 800 residential units, the 2 MiamiCentral and 3 MiamiCentral office buildings with almost 300,000 square feet of space, and retail space with a food hall. Florida East Coast Industries recently completed the 96,000-square-foot 3MiamiCentral, where Brightline’s headquarters is located.

Miami Worldcenter

One of Miami’s largest projects, which is adjacent to Brightline’s MiamiCentral terminal, is the $3 billion Miami Worldcenter project located two blocks south of Interstate 395. The first phase of that project is taking shape, with the first apartment building topped off and the first condominium building set to top off this summer.

When completed, it will feature 330,000 square feet of retail space and be home to the new Marriott Marquis World Convention Center Hotel, featuring approximately 1,700 rooms and 500,000 square feet of meeting, exhibition, and convention space. It will include a mix of luxury residences, boutique condominiums, and market-rate apartments.

Fort Lauderdale

Rendering courtesy of  FAT Village

According to figures from the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, Broward County’s official public-private partnership for economic development, more than $43 million has already been invested within a one-mile radius along its route in Broward County alone. This includes the construction of 2.5 million square feet of commercial space.

A few of the biggest projects are below:

FAT City

Just two blocks from the new Brightline station at 300 North Andrews Ave. in Flagler Village is a 1.35-million-square-foot project called FAT City being developed by the Traina Companies. The project is nearby FAT Village, which is a strip of old warehouses that has been converted into galleries, performance spaces, and hip businesses that cater to millennials. FAT stands for Florida Technology and Art. Traina has said he expects construction to start on FAT City by the end of 2018 or early 2019, with the project opening two years later.

The mixed-use complex, approved by the city commission in July, will consist of two 30-story towers with 270,000 square feet of Class A office and retail space, 612 apartments, and more than 1,300 parking spaces. In an effort to appeal to middle-class renters who cannot afford the luxury-level units in the downtown area, the developer said rents would start at below $1,000 a month.

200 East Las Olas

For many who commute by train to downtown, walking from the train station to work isn’t feasible. This won’t be the case for future workers at an office tower being developed by Stiles Corp. at the site of a building formerly occupied by Broward College. The tower will have 374,000 square feet of space and is expected to be ready for occupancy in fall 2020, although pre-leasing activity has begun. It will be the first new Class A office tower on Las Olas in nearly a decade. Stiles is also developing another tower, which will be a 27-story rental tower with 348 units and a ground-floor supermarket. The project is expected to break ground in the first quarter 2018.

West Palm Beach

Rendering courtesy of Park-Line

Like its neighboring cities to the south, West Palm Beach has seen a flurry of development in its downtown area and Brightline has only added to the activity.

The following are projects very close to the Brightline station:

Park-Line

Last summer Brightline's parent, Florida East Coast Industries, announced plans to partner with Lincoln Property Co. to build 290 multifamily units near Brightline's West Palm Beach station. The projects will be known as Park-Line.

CityPlace

Related Companies announced redevelopment plans for CityPlace. The 110,000-square-foot Macy’s store, which closed last year, will be razed and replaced with 350 apartments with retail and restaurant space on the first two floors. Related also wants to build a 255,000-square-foot office building on the parking lot on Rosemary Avenue between Publix and the Brightline station. The plans would require approval from the city, although Related said it was targeting late 2018 or early 2019 to begin construction on the residential and office space.