A Miami-Dade County Judge has declined to immediately block Miami Dade College from transferring a valuable piece of downtown land for Donald Trump’s future presidential library, but signaled that the issue is far from settled.
The ruling came during the first hearing in a lawsuit filed by historian Marvin Dunn. He accuses the college of violating Florida’s Sunshine Law when its Board of Trustees voted last month to deed 2.63 acres near the Freedom Tower to the state, which then passed it[1] to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation.
Judge Mavel Ruiz said Monday that Dunn’s lawyers had not yet established his standing to sue because they hadn’t submitted proof of his Florida residency.
Ruiz did leave open the possibility of granting an injunction once that issue is resolved.
The Judge did not rule on whether the college violated the Sunshine Law, but made clear the case is likely to continue for months and potentially move on to appeal.
Though the college’s Trustees approved the transfer on Sept. 23, the land — worth more than $67 million according to county appraisers — remains in the college’s possession for now. Dunn’s complaint[2] argues that Miami Dade College failed to give adequate public notice of its meeting, which was announced only as a discussion of “potential real estate transactions” with no reference to the specific parcel or the proposed library.
Unlike other recent Board meetings, it was not livestreamed.
At 8:14 a.m. that morning, minutes after Trustees convened, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Office issued a press release[3] declaring that the property would be used for Trump’s presidential library. One week later, DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet — acting as the state’s Board of Trustees for the Internal Improvement Trust Fund — unanimously approved[4] the conveyance to Trump’s Library Foundation.
That swift sequence of events triggered widespread backlash. Polling in Miami-Dade County found that 74% of voters oppose[5] using Miami Dade College land for the library and want the parcel retained for campus expansion. Just 14% support the state’s plan.
The site, adjacent to the recently renovated[6] Freedom Tower and overlooking Biscayne Bay, is considered one of downtown Miami’s last undeveloped lots. Miami Dade College purchased it in 2004 for $25 million and had long planned to use it for future growth. Today, it’s a parking lot.
DeSantis and his Cabinet members — Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and Attorney General James Uthmeier — hailed the transfer as a tribute to Trump’s legacy and a boon for economic development. The deal gives the Library Foundation five years to begin construction or risk losing the property.
In court Monday, Miami Dade College attorney Jesus Suarez argued the college met its legal obligations by posting notice of the meeting and that Florida’s Sunshine Law does not require detailing the specific subject matter of a vote.
Ruiz didn’t agree outright, instead framing the case[7] as a narrow question of whether the college gave “reasonable notice” to the public.
Dunn’s lawyers contend that the Board’s opaque process deprived residents of the right to participate in a decision involving public land. Once the deed is officially transferred, they said, it would be difficult to reverse the move even if the court later finds a violation, thus making an injunction necessary to preserve the status quo.
The Trump library plan has become a political lightning rod in South Florida. While the Governor praised the library as a “historic” tribute to the President “right here in his home state,” critics decried it as a partisan land grab[8] that bypassed public scrutiny.
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[9] and ABC News[10] to finance construction.
References
- ^ passed it (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ complaint (www2.miamidadeclerk.gov)
- ^ press release (www.flgov.com)
- ^ unanimously approved (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ 74% of voters oppose (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ recently renovated (www.wlrn.org)
- ^ the case (www2.miamidadeclerk.gov)
- ^ decried it as a partisan land grab (www.cbsnews.com)
- ^ Meta (www.npr.org)
- ^ ABC News (apnews.com)