Business View Civil Municipal - July 2023

72 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 7 that has been under construction and is now open to commuters in and out of the city. “Brightline is one of the newest game- changing projects in the city. It connects people from Miami to Boca to West Palm and just recently they opened in Orlando,” Jessica Del Vecchio, City of Boca Raton Economic Development Manager, explains. “Brightline provides ease of travel not only for tourism and entertainment, but also for the local workforce. It’s all about supporting the corporate community for us, and Brightline provides a convenient option that commuters are finding very valuable.” Del Vecchio elaborates that “Commuters are leaving their cars behind, because they can work on the train during their commute. This is proving to be a more productive way to start the work day.” Del Vecchio is quick to point out that this high- speed rail connectivity is helping to bolster the city’s potential business relocation interest. The Office of Economic Development is busy showing office space based on a long list of calls from interested commercial prospects. Work and commercial prospects look ‘bright’ The landscape of Boca Raton is shifting, Del Vecchio highlights. Driven by both high- speed rail prospects, younger demographics, commercial viability, and the face of the ‘new’ workforce coming out of the COVID pandemic, the city is welcoming not only locally driven talent but also talent that can now access the city and come in when needed as the workforce switches gears to more of a hybrid working model. “The early ridership numbers [for Brightline] are exceeding expectations and have been impressive,” Del Vecchio states. “When we talk about new opportunities, the flex-hybrid work style is here to stay.