A judge temporarily halted the planned transfer of a valuable downtown Miami parcel slated for President Donald Trump’s future presidential library, intervening in a high-profile land deal involving public property.
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mavel Ruiz issued the temporary injunction on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported. The injunction will remain in effect until Ruiz issues a final verdict or Miami Dade College holds a new, publicly noticed meeting to discuss the transfer of the land.
Ruiz sided with Miami activist Marvin Dunn, who on Oct. 6 sued Miami Dade College, alleging the school violated Florida’s open government laws by failing to give adequate public notice before approving the land transfer to the state last month.
Ruiz noted that the college “didn’t give the public reasonable notice ahead of the vote,” but emphasized the case was “not rooted in politics.”
The nearly 3-acre property at 500-540 Biscayne Boulevard, valued at about $67 million by the Miami-Dade County property appraiser, sits on one of the few remaining undeveloped stretches in downtown Miami.
Real estate analysts said the site — surrounded by luxury condo towers, two museums and two waterfront parks — could fetch several times its assessed value if sold on the open market.
The college’s board of trustees voted during an early morning meeting on Sept. 23 to convey the land to a state fund overseen by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet. A week later, the governor and cabinet voted to transfer the parcel to the foundation that will develop Trump’s library.
That group is led by Eric Trump, Michael Boulos — husband of Tiffany Trump — and presidential attorney James Kiley.
Attorneys for Dunn argued that the Sept. 23 meeting agenda gave no details about the location or purpose of the transaction. Miami Dade College’s lawyers insisted the board followed legal requirements, and that any delay in transferring the land could cost the college up to $300,000.
Other Florida universities, including Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University, were previously considered for the library site. State lawmakers earlier this year passed legislation to shield such projects from local government objections.
– Francisco Alvarado
