Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is proposing to use a parking lot next to Miami’s Freedom Tower as the site for a Donald Trump presidential library. The plan involves submitting an item to the Florida Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, which will vote on the proposal at its meeting on September 30.
“No state has better delivered the President’s agenda than the Free State of Florida,” DeSantis said in a statement. “And we would be honored to house his presidential library here in his home state.”
Trump, who served as both the 45th and 47th president of the United States, lists his primary residence at Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach.
The trustees overseeing the improvement trust fund include DeSantis, Attorney General James Uthmeier, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson. This board manages state land acquisitions and dispositions.
Currently, employees from Miami-Dade College’s Wolfson Campus use the parking lot. According to a report by the Miami Herald, Miami-Dade College’s board of trustees voted Tuesday morning to transfer ownership of this property to the state. The college also owns Freedom Tower, which recently reopened after undergoing $25 million in renovations.
Freedom Tower is one of downtown Miami’s most recognized buildings. Built in 1925 as the headquarters for the now-defunct Miami News, it later became known for its role as a Cuban Refugee Center during the 1960s and 1970s. In 2005, it was donated to Miami-Dade College and turned into a museum.
DeSantis’ proposal comes amid efforts to improve relations with Trump following last year’s Republican presidential primary. During that contest, DeSantis ran against Trump but ended his campaign in January after determining he could not win.
Recently, DeSantis’ administration also supported Trump-era immigration policies by converting an old air strip in the Everglades into a detention facility called Alligator Alcatraz. A U.S. appeals court recently blocked an order that would have closed this facility.
