By Jesse Scheckner, Florida Politics
(Source: The Miami Times)
Miami Dade College’s Board of Trustees has again approved the transfer of more than 2.6 acres of prime downtown Miami land for Donald Trump’s planned presidential library.
The Board OK’d the move unanimously for a second time, despite a still-pending lawsuit alleging that the public college violated Florida’s Sunshine Law during its first vote in September.
Held at MDC’s campus in Hialeah, the Board’s redo meeting drew dozens of students, faculty, alumni and activists who delivered comments for more than 3 1/2 hours. Many spoke against the transfer, calling it a misuse of public assets that could harm the college’s ability to grow and fundraise.
Supporters, meanwhile, argued the library would bring tourism and economic benefits.
The land in question sits directly across Biscayne Boulevard from the historic Freedom Tower. The college purchased it in 2004 for close to $25 million. Today, some real estate experts value it at more than $300 million.
By deeding the parcel to the state, which then passed it to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation, MDC will receive no compensation for the land.
Trustees said the arrangement is consistent with how presidential libraries are typically sited. MDC Board member Roberto Alonso, who was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2020, described the move as beneficial to students and the community. Presidential libraries, he said, “add to what the college offers” by supporting research and cultural use.
Opponents contended that the deal prioritized politics over education. Philip Stoddard, a former mayor of South Miami who teaches biology at Florida International University, warned the decision could damage donor trust and jeopardize endowment support.
Others said placing a Trump-named project across from the Freedom Tower, which once served as a processing center for Cuban refugees, was either tone deaf or deliberately insensitive, considering the president’s sweeping immigration policies that have affected many local families.
The second vote followed intense backlash to the September Board meeting at which the initial transfer was approved. Historian Marvin Dunn then sued, accusing the college of failing to properly inform the public which property was under consideration or why.
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mabel Ruiz later ruled Dunn had a substantial likelihood of success and temporarily blocked the transfer while the case advances. A state appeals court declined to intervene.
Dunn spoke at Tuesday’s session and dismissed the second vote as a procedural maneuver, vowing to continue the lawsuit.
The trial is scheduled for August. Until the case concludes, the judge’s injunction prevents the college from completing the transfer.
The proposed library — led by Trustees Eric Trump, Trump’s son; Michael Boulos, the president’s son-in-law; and James Kiley, one of Trump’s lawyers — would reportedly include a high-rise complex combining archival space, museum exhibits and commercial development.
The Library Foundation has said it will use donations and settlement funds from the president’s lawsuits against Facebook parent Meta and ABC News to finance construction.
Polling in Miami-Dade County found that 74% of voters oppose using Miami Dade College land for the library and want the parcel retained for campus expansion. Just 14% support the state’s plan.
