Brightline’s planned Cocoa station is still expected to open in 2030 despite the company’s recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, local leaders said, calling the project a major transportation and economic opportunity for Brevard County.

The station would bring Brightline service to the Space Coast, connecting Cocoa and Brevard County to other parts of Florida by passenger rail. Officials said the project is expected to support tourism, create jobs and generate new economic activity in the region.

“This is going to be a gamechanger here in the city of Cocoa,” Cocoa Mayor Michael Blake said.

Brightline Florida CEO Patrick Goddard said the bankruptcy filing is part of a debt restructuring effort and does not signal the end of the company’s plans.

“We’ve restructured the debt, which puts us in a very sustainable position for the long term,” Goddard said. “This is a company that’s already covering its expenses.”

Local leaders said the Cocoa station remains scheduled to move forward, with construction expected to take about three to three and a half years.

U.S. Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-District 8, called the project a transformational opportunity for the Space Coast.

“Thirty-five hundred jobs are going to be created, $350 million a year in economic activity,” Haridopolos said.

[WATCH: Brightline preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy]

Officials said Cocoa is the only city to receive Federal Railroad Administration construction funding this year for the project.

“We’re here to invest in the people of Cocoa and the surrounding area,” Blake said. “We are the chosen one. We are the selected one. We are the one that’s right on time.”

The station is expected to become a key transportation link for Brevard County as Brightline expands access across the state.

Officials said they will continue to provide updates as the project moves through planning and construction.