In a decisive ruling that could shape Miami’s skyline, a Miami judge cleared the path for a future Trump library by dismissing a lawsuit that challenged the college’s decision to hand over a coveted downtown parcel.
The Legal Battle
A local activist, retired professor Marvin Dunn, filed a complaint against Miami Dade College, arguing that the school’s board did not provide sufficient public notice and violated the state’s open-government law when it voted in September to give away the nearly 3-acre (1.2-hectare) property in downtown Miami.
Circuit Judge Mavel Ruiz initially sided with Dunn. In October, she temporarily blocked the college from formally transferring the land while the challenge played out, setting a trial for the following August.
The Decision
On Thursday, Ruiz ruled in favor of the college, dismissing Dunn’s complaint without prejudice. The judge noted that the board had redone the vote on the land giveaway earlier this month at a more than four-hour-long public meeting that included fiery testimony on the issue.
Ruiz said her decision was not political but solely based on the narrow facts of the case and the confines of the open-government law. She added: “This court is not deciding whether this is wise, whether the transaction is appropriate for one president or another, or for a library, or for a petting zoo. That is not what the court is here to decide,” Ruiz said.
Attorneys for the college maintained that the board did not violate state law, but argued that any alleged violation had been “fully cured” following the redo vote. Jennifer Hernandez, an attorney for the college, said: “The board has redone the vote just as plaintiff asked, and has considered this anew, truly deliberated on it and has again conveyed the land to the state,” Hernandez said.
Although Ruiz dismissed Dunn’s complaint, the judge acknowledged his decision to leverage his home to pay a court-ordered bond as part of the terms of her order temporarily blocking the land transfer. Ruiz described Dunn as someone “willing to put themselves, their money and their home on the line for the better good,” adding, “and I thank you.”
The Property
The site is a developer’s dream and is valued at more than $67 million, according to a 2025 assessment by the Miami-Dade County property appraiser. One real-estate expert wagered that the parcel-one of the last undeveloped lots on a palm-tree-lined stretch of Biscayne Boulevard-could sell for hundreds of millions of dollars more.
Under local zoning rules, the best use of the property would be a towering condo building, according to one Miami real-estate expert, who described the site as a potential “cash cow.”
The Future of the Site
After the college first voted in September to transfer the property to a fund controlled by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet, GOP officials voted to transfer the land again, effectively putting the property under the control of the Trump family when they deeded it to the foundation for Trump’s library.
That foundation is led by three trustees: Eric Trump; Tiffany Trump’s husband, Michael Boulos; and the president’s attorney, James Kiley. Eric Trump has pledged the future library will be “one of the most beautiful buildings ever built” and “an Icon on the Miami skyline.”
Key Takeaways
- Judge Mavel Ruiz dismissed a lawsuit that challenged Miami Dade College’s transfer of a downtown parcel to a Trump library fund.
- The college’s board redid the vote earlier this month, satisfying the court’s concerns about notice and open-government compliance.
- The nearly 3-acre property is valued at more than $67 million and could be used for a high-rise condo or the proposed Trump library.
The ruling removes a significant legal hurdle, allowing the Trump foundation to proceed with plans for a monument that could reshape Miami’s skyline.
