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The Board of Directors of Miami Dade College unanimously approved the transfer of over two and a half acres of land located in downtown Miami to the state for the construction of the presidential library of Donald Trump.
According to Local 10, the decision was made at a special meeting held on Tuesday at the Hialeah campus, after three and a half hours of public comments on the proposal.
The parcel, located next to Biscayne Boulevard and across from the Kaseya Center, currently used as a parking lot for Miami Dade College, was valued at over 67 million dollars according to an appraisal conducted in 2025 by the Miami-Dade County appraiser.
The location is also iconic due to its proximity to the Torre de la Libertad, a historic building that served as a center for Cuban refugees from 1962 to 1974 and now operates as an immigration museum.
Project advocates highlighted that the presidential library will bring prestige and economic benefits to south Florida. "Who are we to say no? To place the library here in the center of Miami, Donald Trump belongs to south Florida, so what's the problem?" asserted speaker Myriam Campos.
However, the proposal also faces opposition due to the symbolism of the Tower of Liberty and the figure of Trump, associated with deportation policies and controversial comments about immigrants.
The decision comes amid a lawsuit filed by local activist Marvin Dunn, who claims that the board violated state open government laws by not providing sufficient notice for the extraordinary meeting on September 23, when the transfer was initially approved.
A judge temporarily halted the transfer until the case is resolved, and Dunn expressed his frustration during the session: "It's a waste of time to come here. We have 20,000 letters sent to these board members saying, 'Don't do this.'"
The land will be transferred to a state fund supervised by Governor Ron DeSantis and his cabinet, and subsequently to the Trump Library Foundation, led by Eric Trump, Michael Boulos, and attorney James Kiley.
This decision was also supported by high-ranking Republican officials, who stated that the property will create economic opportunities and strengthen the presence of museums and historical sites in the area.
At the end of September, the state of Florida formally approved the transfer of the 2.63-acre parcel to downtown Miami, next to the Tower of Freedom, to build Donald Trump's presidential library.
The property, located in one of the most coveted areas of the city, surrounded by skyscrapers and overlooking Biscayne Bay, had been considered previously by other universities such as Florida International University and Florida Atlantic University; however, its proximity to the sea and to the Freedom Tower ultimately took precedence.
The Florida Legislature, dominated by Republicans, approved a law this year that prevents local governments from blocking the construction of presidential libraries, following previous disputes between Trump and local authorities over regulations regarding patriotic symbols.
The Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation, established in late 2024, will be responsible for managing the project.
The plan includes the construction of an adjacent hotel, which would make Trump's library the first in the country with a complementary tourist development.
According to Eric Trump, the new facility will be "the best presidential library ever built, in honor of the best president."
The location in the heart of Miami also allows for the combination of political legacy, migratory history, and tourism promotion, solidifying the project as a major attraction in South Florida.
Additionally, the proximity to the Tower of Freedom adds a symbolic element, given that the historic building was recently renovated with 25 million dollars and hosted thousands of Cuban refugees between 1962 and 1974, a detail that generates both support and controversy within the local community.
Tuesday's vote marks the first concrete step for downtown Miami to become the permanent home of Donald Trump's presidential library, a project that reflects the interplay of political, economic, and cultural interests in the state of Florida.
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