Home Care In Stuart, FL

STUART — Brightline will build its Treasure Coast station in Stuart, city officials said Monday.

City Manager Mike Mortell informed city employees on Monday that Stuart had won the competition for the new station, to be located downtown, near the Martin County Courthouse.

Brightline officials on Monday did not respond to a request for comment.

Stuart and Martin County reaction

"We're very excited about it," city spokesperson Misti Guertin said of Brightline's decision, which Mortell received verbally from the railroad. Brightline has not yet announced the new site.

A formal "kickoff" event is set for 8 a.m. March 11 at the station site on Southeast Flagler Avenue.

The city of Stuart and Martin County had partnered on the station application.

Martin County Deputy County Administrator George Stokus knew nothing of the decision to choose downtown Stuart for the Treasure Coast's stop, he said late Monday. The county had received no official word from Brightline, and by Monday afternoon he had yet to speak with Stuart officials, he said.

“We are waiting for Brightline to make an announcement,” county spokesperson Martha Ann Kneiss said Monday.

The winning proposal

It was unknown Monday whether Brightline had accepted the city-county proposal as it was submitted in late December or if there had been negotiations on terms of the deal.

The joint Stuart-Martin County application estimated cost of the station, at 500 Southeast Flagler Ave., at $60 million. That cost, according to the proposal, would be shared among the city, the county and Brightline, with $45 million coming from the city and county. The proposal called for the county to donate the site, near the county courthouse, to Stuart, which would lease it to the railroad company for $1 a year for 80 years. As part of the city's obligation, it would construct a new parking garage.

The Martin County Tourist Development Council also committed up to $800,000, including $200,000 to buy tickets, to market Brightline service.

Of four unsuccessful bids, two were public

In total, five property owners submitted applications for the new station. Of the five sites Brightline was considering, three were publicly known: downtown Stuart and two in downtown Fort Pierce.

City of Fort Pierce proposal

The city of Fort Pierce itself submitted a bid for a station, along the tracks behind the Sunrise Theatre. Its plan would have utilized a county-owned parking garage on South Second Street at Boston Avenue, across from the courthouse. That station would be built on 2.37 acres along South Depot Drive, running between Orange Avenue and the garage.

The city said it would borrow $20 million toward the station, including $6 million to add two floors to the garage.

But Fort Pierce did not own all of that 2.37 acres, creating a possible issue for Brightline, which had required applicants control the land they offered. The city did have "a willing seller" for the outstanding parcel, Mayor Linda Hudson had said, and the city's 103-page proposal included a letter from property owner Irving Matthews affirming his willingness to negotiate a sale to the city.

In a text message, Hudson said Fort Pierce officials had been in communication with Brightline on Monday, but she did not say Stuart had been chosen. The company told Fort Pierce officials that no selection has been "announced," Hudson said.

"Before any announcement, Brightline will notify all those who submitted proposals," Hudson said.

King's Landing proposal

The second Fort Pierce bid came from Audubon Development, the developer building the King’s Landing complex downtown, on the site of the former H.D. King Power Plant. The Audubon proposal included a public-private partnership with Indian River State College and its foundation, where a $17 million station would include dining facilities highlighting the college’s culinary program. It also included a $30 million museum featuring the art and history of the Treasure Coast and a $36 million luxury apartment complex.

Audubon CEO Dale Matteson also could not be reached for comment Monday.

More:Pros, cons: Three known pitches to Brightline for Treasure Coast station intriguing, but ...

More:A battle for Brightline: Choices for new station appear to be between Stuart, Fort Pierce

Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County tried to market itself to Brightline

St. Lucie County commissioners and Port St. Lucie City Council members had voiced support for both Fort Pierce applications, while Fort Pierce city commissioners officially backed Audubon’s bid in addition to their own. Fort Pierce had advocated for itself in a number of ways, including putting up banners facing the tracks on a city-owned parking garage. The banners read: "Brightline, your next stop is ... Fort Pierce.” The city also launched a podcast called “Next Stop Fort Pierce.”

Unlike the Stuart-Martin County proposal, both Fort Pierce and Audubon had offered to pay the entire cost of the station.

Another Brightline milestone

Selection of Stuart for the new station marks another milestone in the development of Brightline. Florida East Coast Industries announced in March 2012 that it would use its existing rail corridor between Miami and Cocoa, and a new segment to be built from Cocoa to Orlando, for a state-of-the-art higher-speed passenger railroad.

The last passenger service along the coastal corridor ended in 1968.

At the time, the $1.5 billion project, then called All Aboard Florida, was to be completed and operational in just two years, by 2014, the company said. It took twice that long for the first service to begin. Service between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, and later to Miami, began in early 2018.

It took another five years, until Sept. 22, 2023, and a total of $4 billion, for the launch of regular train service between Miami and Orlando International Airport.

In the meantime, Martin and Indian River counties had become a hotbed of opposition to the railroad — initially named All Aboard Florida; then Brightline; then Virgin trains USA; and back to Brightline. Together, both county governments spent about $8 million in legal fees, trying to block the railroad from extending through the Treasure Coast.

In June 2021, Brightline offered to settle lawsuits with the two counties. Indian River refused, but Martin County agreed to a settlement which included construction of a station, in either Martin or St. Lucie county, within five years of the launch of Orlando service.

Brightline has said its new Treasure Coast station would be under construction in 2026 and would open in 2028.

Keith Burbank is TCPalm's watchdog reporter covering Martin County. He can be reached at [email protected].

Wicker Perlis is TCPalm's Watchdog Reporter for St. Lucie County. You can reach him at [email protected] and 504-331-0516.

ORLANDO, Fla., February 26, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Traffic & Mobility Consultants (TMC), an Orlando, FL based engineering company specializing in transportation planning and traffic engineering, announces the acquisition of O'Rourke Engineering & Planning, a leading traffic and transportation engineering firm located in Stuart, FL. The acquisition enhances TMC's reach and reinforces its commitment to delivering best-in-class solutions in the field of transportation engineering.

O'Rourke Engineering & Planning has a reputation for finding creative and innovative solutions to address the complexities of contemporary transportation issues. The firm's specialization includes traffic impact analysis, parking studies, signal design, and transportation design, making it a perfect fit for TMC's vision of providing holistic transportation solutions. With extensive experience working with both public and private sector clients, O'Rourke Engineering & Planning brings a wealth of knowledge and qualifications to the TMC team.

Mohammed Abdallah, CEO of Traffic & Mobility Consultants, expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition, stating, "We are thrilled to welcome O'Rourke Engineering & Planning into the TMC team. This strategic move aligns perfectly with our commitment to providing the highest quality transportation planning and engineering services throughout the state. Together, we look forward to tackling the challenges of today's dynamic transportation landscape and delivering innovative solutions to our clients."

Susan O'Rourke, President of O'Rourke Engineering & Planning stated, "Joining forces with Traffic & Mobility Consultants opens up exciting opportunities to access talent and experience that will expand the breadth and depth of our services and enhance client responsiveness. Our shared commitment to excellence and innovation will lead to even greater client outcomes. "

This strategic move reinforces Traffic & Mobility Consultants' position as a leading player in the transportation engineering sector, bringing together two reputable firms to provide a wider range of services to clients across Florida and beyond.

The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Greenberg Traurig acted as legal advisor to TMC and Arago Law acted as legal advisor to O’Rourke Engineering & Planning.

About Traffic & Mobility Consultants:

Traffic & Mobility Consultants LLC (TMC) was founded in 2012 and is a Florida registered engineering company specializing in Transportation Planning and Traffic Engineering. TMC serves private clients and governmental agencies at the local, county and state levels. TMC has an excellent record of public acceptance and approval of plans. TMC’s solutions are developed with the utmost sensitivity to the needs of the community. TMC’s goal is to provide its clients with the highest quality services, offering innovative, strategic, and effective solutions for safe and efficient mobility. For more information, visit www.trafficmobility.com.

A 10-foot great white shark, tagged by OCEARCH scientists in 2020, was tracked off the Treasure Coast Saturday night.

The shark, nicknamed Rose, pinged off the Stuart coast at 11:28 p.m., which means the satellite tag fastened to her dorsal fin broke the water's surface and sent the ocean predator's location to trackers.

Rose has traveled 14,788 miles since she was tagged. Her tracker shows Rose has spent her winters around Florida since 2021. She ventured into the Gulf of Mexico in 2022 and 2023 and in March of 2022 swam as far as the Panhandle, near Panama City.

In January, a 9-foot great white shark named Simon pinged twice off the Treasure Coast, off Vero Beach and Stuart.

Here's what to know about Rose, other sharks around the Treasure Coast, OCEARCH and white sharks in Florida:

More about OCEARCH white shark Rose

At that time, she measured 10 feet 5 inches, weighed 600 pounds and was classified as a juvenile shark.

Great white sharks can grow up to 20 feet long, but most are smaller with males averaging 11 to 13 feet.

According to OCEARCH, she was named after Rose Bay near where she was tagged.

Great white shark Simon tracked off Vero Beach, Stuart in January

On Jan. 17, a 9-foot 6-inch, 434-pound male white shark nicknamed "Simon" pinged off Vero Beach. He then traveled south and pinged near the Stuart coast three days later, on Jan. 20.

The juvenile shark was caught and tagged off St. Simon's Island, Georgia on Dec. 4, 2022, during OCEARCH Expedition Southbound.

Simon is known to have traveled 4,000 miles alongside an 8-foot shark "friend" named Jekyll, surprising scientists who previously believed sharks preferred only their own company.

But Simon and Jekyll may have parted ways.

Simon's tracker shows his last ping in the Gulf of Mexico off Marco Island on Feb. 4, while Jekyll's was on Feb. 7, off Jupiter Island and on Jan. 20, Jekyll pinged off South Carolina less than a day before Simon was tracked off Florida's Treasure Coast.

Why do great white sharks come to Florida?

Yes. White sharks migrate south when the water gets cold and food sources become scarce up north, according to OCEARCH chief scientist Dr. Bob Hueter.

Think of them as the snowbirds of sharks.

Most of them tend to stay away from the beaches in continental shelf waters, Hueter said.

What is OCEARCH?

OCEARCH is a nonprofit research organization studying the ocean's giants.

The group studies great white sharks and other keystone species essential for the health of the oceans.

OCEARCH recently finished up its 46th expedition, dubbed Expedition Southeast. It departed from Jacksonville on Nov. 17 and made its final docking in Morehead City, North Carolina on Dec. 15.

During the expeditions, researchers collected previously unattainable data on the animals' migrations, reproductive cycle, genetic status, diet, abundance, and more.

"If we lose the apex predator (sharks) then we lose all our fish and then there are no fish sandwiches for our grandchildren," OCEARCH founder Chris Fischer told the Courier Journal. "That's oversimplified, of course, but the idea is important because many shark species are threatened by overfishing and a demand for shark fins in Asia. Their dwindling numbers jeopardize ocean habitats."

Most shark attacks happen in Florida

There were 69 documented unprovoked shark attacks around the globe in 2023. The U.S. led the world with 36 attacks and Florida again was the state with the most bites at 16.

Florida shark attacks by county:

While the U.S. has the most attacks, South Africa has the most shark-related fatalities.

Since 1992, there have been 1,232 shark bites worldwide, according to data from floridapanhandle.com, with white sharks credited as the top biters.

Support local journalism by subscribing to a Florida news organization.

Ed Killer

STUART — Swordfishing along the Treasure Coast is one of those advanced-level activities when it comes to fishing methods.

It's a far cry from sitting on an overturned bucket dangling a worm for specks with a bamboo cane pole. It's not like bouncing a one-ounce flare hawk jig at the Turning Basin for snook or tripletail. It's not even like casting 150 yards into the surf for whiting and pompano.

If successful, all of these endeavors can land a filet of fish on one's dinner table. Only if you land a swordfish — especially one the size landed off Stuart Monday, estimated to weigh over 500 pounds — well, those filets will end up on a whole lot more dinner tables.

How swordfishing is like tuna fishing

Bob Perimian of Rocky Point and Jeremy Peloquin have been watching the wind blow seemingly for months this winter. The two avid offshore anglers enjoy hitting the blue water outside the St. Lucie Inlet to catch popular fish such as cobia, wahoo, tilefish, dolphin and snapper.

However, rough seas through November, December and part of January have limited the number of trips the duo can enjoy.

When they can, they take Perimian's 42-foot Duffy Marta D offshore to troll, live bait or bottom fish for various fish they can bring back and eat. Monday, the plan was to fish for swordfish, which can be one of those more elusive catches. Sometimes anglers can fish all day for swordfish and not get one bite despite their best efforts.

"Our goal is usually just to catch dinner," said Perimian, who moved to Martin County from Boston, Massachusetts in 2021.

Perimian's experience has been fishing for giant bluefin tuna in the canyons off his home state. He's boated tuna that tipped scales at 500, 600 and even 900 pounds.

"Swordfish, pound for pound, are a tough fighting fish" compared to tuna, he said.

Monday morning, Perimian and Peloquin ran out to a spot off Jupiter Inlet in about 1,500 feet of water almost 20 miles off the beach. There, the Gulf Stream chugs northward at a nearly 3 knot clip. They drift fish for swordfish by deploying a bait — in this case, a squid — deep down.

"I usually drop it down to the bottom and crank it up maybe 100 feet," Perimian said. They deployed another line closer to the surface.

What happens when the line position changes?

Before midday, Perimian noticed the line wasn't in the right place.

"Jeremy asked me if the drift (of our boat) changed the angle of the line. When I told him it couldn't have, we started reeling in the line. What we saw with the line happens usually only with bigger swordfish," Perimian said. They engaged the Lindgren-Pittman electric reel and began taking up line.

Not long after that, the big fish came to the surface and jumped the first of four jumps. They knew then they had the biggest swordfish Perimian had ever hooked.

"I had only seen two or three bigger fish in the water. Those were on fishing trips to Australia in the 1990s for black marlin," Perimian said.

Perimian said he reeled it in with 35 pounds of drag, and had the fish up four times. They took the weight off the rig and still had about 400 feet of line they had to fight the fish. Two and half hours later, the giant broadbill had begun to tire and they were ready to bring it aboard.

When it was alongside, they slid a tail rope around it. They opened the boat's tuna door in the transom and used two block and tackles to help haul it onto the deck.

Why now?El Nin?o rains to blame for Lake Okeechobee water sent to the St. Lucie River, Stuart

Dirty river:What are Lake Okeechobee discharges? Risks include water pollution and toxic algae blooms

Who wants fresh swordfish?

They spent Monday afternoon dividing up their catch for a widening list of friends in Stuart.

Perimian didn't have a way to weigh the swordfish. Using the weight calculation formula, the swordfish measured 138 inches overall — 98 from the lower jaw to the fork of the tail — and had a girth of 64 inches.

"It was a fat fish, too. It had fat all the way down its body to the tail, so it may have weighed more than 500 pounds," Perimian said. He thought it yielded about 350 pounds of meat. He plans to have Lighthouse Point-based marine artist RJ Boyle decorate the nearly 4-foot-long bill with artwork.

Swordfish info

Florida record: 612.75 pounds, Stephen Stanford, May 7, 1978, Key Largo

IGFA All Tackle world record: 1,182 pounds, Louis Marron, May 7, 1953, Chile

Florida regulations: Minimum size 47.5 inches lower jaw to fork of tail; Bag limit 1 per angler not to exceed 4 per vessel; Season open year round

Ed Killer produces fish stories for TCPalm. Email yours to [email protected].

STUART, Fla. — The Stuart Costco project has sparked controversy from the beginning.

WPTV reported earlier about the developer's timeline announcement, which puts the wholesale chain's completion time in the summer of 2025, and residents are divided about the time it will take to open doors.

"I'm happy," Richard Merrell said. "Well, I wish it was sooner."

Gary Ober of Palm City said he was hoping the chain would open sooner, but is happy it's opening at all.

"I would love it," Ober said. "I'm a Costco supporter."

Some residents, however, are not as excited about the project and are content with its timeline.

"I think that's appropriate, maybe I can find a house elsewhere in the meantime," Lisa Mari, a Palm City resident, joked. "[It's] chaotic, way too many people coming; it's within blocks of my house."

For Robin Cartwright, hearing the timeline was expected, but also a bit like putting salt in a wound. Cartwright originally filed a lawsuit against the city in September 2021, questioning its land-use designation for the plot of land.

She won the lawsuit in April 2022 when Judge Francine Folkes filed a recommended order siding with Cartwright.

In 2023, the administration commission reversed that decision and sided with the city. Cartwright appealed but then withdrew her appeal.

Still, she told WPTV she has an issue with what was approved and what will be built that she fears will have an impact on the community. The project includes an 18-pump gas station, restaurant space, and a 378-unit apartment complex in addition to the store.

"Our roadways, our little community can only handle so much," Cartwright said. "The issue I have is with the way it was approved."

She fears the project could lead to the approval of other, bigger projects.

Martin County NAACP President Jimmy Smith had the opposite reaction. He said while the completion date is far out, getting a timeline is one step closer to getting more jobs for his community and more revenue for business owners like himself.

"I'm very excited," Smith said. "I travel south to West Palm Beach to shop for my barbecue business. I travel north to St. Lucie County. Martin County really doesn't have a wholesaler that we can afford to make a profit."

Tom Cosgriff, project manager for M&M Realty, released the following statement to WPTV, reading in full:

"In response to all the excitement and anticipation across the Treasure Coast for the new Costco in Stuart, we wanted to provide a tentative timeline on the process. As promised, we’re constructing the Costco—and the connector road between Kanner Highway and Willoughby Boulevard—before any other elements of the project. Accounting for the fact that every construction project is at the mercy of various weather factors, we hope to have the new Costco complete and ready for the public to enjoy in an estimated 18-month period."

Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.