Cocoa business owners eager for proposed Brightline stop

COCOA, Fla. — Brevard County could soon approve funds to help build a Brightline passenger train stop along the tracks in Cocoa.

The 90-acre site is at the beach line curve of State Road 528 and U.S. Highway 1, where trains must slow down to make the turn south.

The Tourism Development Council already voted to allocate $5 million for project development, and now the proposal heads to the county commission.

They will also be seeking additional federal funding to pay for the nearly $75 million station.

With multiple stops a day, it’s a win-win for local businesses eager to convert train riders into their patrons.

Paul Hill co-owns Dirty Oar Beer Company in Cocoa Village, where there is a laid back atmosphere with plenty of local brews on tap.

“Every batch of beer has gone through that one tank,” Hill said.

Business is good, but Hill is thirsty for more.

He hopes it is on the way via a future Brightline stop, a short drive away.

It’s something locals have advocated for since the passenger trains began running from Orlando to south Florida.

“It’s a short trip from where that station is proposed to here, right up U.S. 1, five to ten-minute ride depending on the lights,” said Hill.

City of Cocoa spokesperson Samantha Segner says it’s not just an economic boon and ‘transformative’ project for Cocoa, but for all the Space Coast.

“You’re bringing in employment opportunities, new people wanting jobs in this area, obviously leisure and travel,” she said.

Hill hopes it will bring new customers ordering up his pints.

“I relish the thought of them being able to do so in the very near future,” he said.

The Brevard County Commission will discuss the proposal during their May 2 meeting.