Donald Trump Presidential Library in Miami — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Proposes Historic Site Next to Freedom Tower

Donald Trump Presidential Library in Miami: DeSantis Proposes Historic Site

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to build the Donald Trump Presidential Library in Miami, transforming a 2.6-acre parking lot beside the historic Freedom Tower into Florida’s first presidential library.

DeSantis plans to present the proposal to the Florida Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund on September 30. The board manages public lands across the state.

“No state has better delivered the President’s agenda than the Free State of Florida,” DeSantis said. “And we would be honored to house his presidential library here in his home state.”

If approved, this would mark Florida’s first-ever presidential library. Former President Donald Trump, who served as the 45th and 47th president, lives at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.

The board’s members include DeSantis, Attorney General James Uthmeier, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.

Site With Deep Miami Roots

The property is currently used as a parking lot for employees at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus. On Tuesday, the college’s board voted to transfer the land to the state, according to the Miami Herald. The college also owns the Freedom Tower, a 1925 Spanish Renaissance Revival landmark that reopened in 2024 after a $25 million renovation.

The Freedom Tower first housed the Miami News and later became the Cuban Refugee Center, which helped hundreds of thousands of Cuban immigrants during the 1960s and 1970s. Miami Dade College received the building in 2005 and converted it into a museum.

Political Context

DeSantis has been repairing his relationship with Trump after their clash in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. The governor ended his campaign in January 2024 when it became clear he could not defeat Trump, who ran sharp attacks against him.

More recently, DeSantis backed Trump’s immigration agenda. His administration converted a former Everglades airstrip into a detention center called “Alligator Alcatraz.” A U.S. appeals court recently blocked an order that required the site to close.

If approved, the Donald Trump Presidential Library in Miami would tie Trump’s legacy to one of the city’s most iconic landmarks while signaling renewed political alignment between DeSantis and the former president.

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