Miami Dade College trustees renew approval of Downtown Miami land transfer for Trump presidential library
Miami Dade College's Board of Trustees on Tuesday once again signed off on transferring a valuable slice of Downtown Miami real estate for the planned presidential library for President Donald Trump, a unanimous vote delivered as the school faces continued legal scrutiny over the deal.
Meeting in a specially called session at the college's Hialeah campus, trustees revisited the proposal involving nearly three acres of MDC-owned land on Biscayne Boulevard, next to the Freedom Tower. The parcel, currently used as a surface parking lot, has been at the center of controversy since the board first endorsed the transfer in September.
The do-over vote followed weeks of questions about whether the college violated Florida's Sunshine Law when it initially approved the transfer. Critics argued the September meeting lacked proper public notice. A lawsuit soon followed.
In late April, a judge temporarily barred MDC from handing over the land to the state, ensuring the property stays under the college's control until the legal challenge is resolved. That injunction remains in place as the case moves forward.
Public comment draws nearly 100 people
"I could cry, but I'm not surprised," said Dr. Marvin Dunn, a local historian suing MDC's board of trustees.
Dunn, a retired professor and chronicler of local Black history, filed the lawsuit arguing that the college board violated Florida's Government in the Sunshine law by not providing sufficient notice for its special meeting on Sept. 23.
Nearly 100 people attended Tuesday's meeting at Miami Dade College's Hialeah campus, where public comment stretched from shortly after 8 a.m. until 11:30. Speakers were sharply divided - some calling the land transfer a sham, others praising it as a chance to bring prestige to the college.
"You would be denying the college and the students the possibility of all the prestige and benefit of a presidential library," one supporter told the board.
Another opponent countered: "A donation of the land would be a travesty, a slap in the face to our beautiful nation of immigrants."
Trustees stress transfer is to the state
Board members emphasized that the decision is a land transfer to the state, not a direct approval of a Trump library. "I think this is a further expansion of an educational facility because presidential libraries are places where you can go and research," said Roberto Alonso, vice chair of the board.
Trial set for August 2026 in lawsuit seeking to block the transfer
Circuit Judge Mavel Ruiz has scheduled a trial for Aug. 3, 2026, to determine whether the college violated Sunshine Law requirements. Attorneys for the college had asked the judge to stay the trial proceedings pending an appellate court's review.
Ruiz acknowledged that the trial date could change, depending on how the appeals court proceeds.
Dunn says the lawsuit is now more important than ever:
"It's a land giveaway to the Trump Library Foundation," Dunn said. "Who is the Trump Library Foundation? Eric Trump, his wife, and some dude lawyer."