While rumors continue to circulate about potential stops in Cocoa and Melbourne, Brightline’s recent land acquisitions in Titusville and Cocoa have sparked further curiosity about its future in Brevard county.

Current projections suggest that a train stop in Titusville is unlikely given the company’s existing plans. The possibility of a stop in Cocoa, while under discussion, has not been officially confirmed by Brightline.

A 2016 survey by the Space Coast Planning and Transportation Organization noted the potential of a northward expansion towards Jacksonville. The report suggested that the most logical location for a transfer station would be the north-south, east-west junction in north Cocoa.

Decisions on future stops in Brevard County will largely depend on ridership after the completion of the Tampa-Orlando-South Florida connections.

Brightline has also begun developing a residential neighborhood in Cocoa. This project is not only a savvy real estate venture but also provides a solution for the company’s need for fill for the railway tracks it is building between Brevard and Orange counties.

Cocoa’s regulations prohibit the operation of a borrow pit — a location where materials such as dirt and rock are excavated for use at another site — within city limits. However, Brightline found a way to obtain the necessary fill by creating a subdivision with a manmade lake.

The construction of the lake, besides enhancing the new neighborhood’s appeal, also provides the required fill material for the railroad construction.

On Tuesday, the Board of Brevard County Commissioners approved Brightline’s request to build an access road from the new neighborhood to Grissom Road. The upcoming subdivision will feature about 350 single-family homes.

The residential development project will offer 350 homes averaging 1,800 square feet each. The neighborhood will also feature a private recreation area, green spaces, and a 38-acre lake.