Florida donates Miami real estate for Trump library

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida leaders are offering downtown Miami’s waterfront as the potential future site of President Donald Trump’s presidential library.

“President Trump has a great story to tell,” said Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. “As a Florida resident, I think it’s quite fitting that we house it as Miami becomes king of the capital of the world.”

The Florida Cabinet voted unanimously Tuesday to donate the roughly 2.6 acres of prime land on Biscayne Boulevard, directly next to the Kaseya Center — home of the Miami Heat. The site also sits next to the city’s iconic Freedom Tower, an immigration landmark Cuban refugees regard as the Ellis Island of the South. The parcel itself is worth roughly $67 million, according to property records.

“I absolutely think it’s a slap to the face to those individuals who see that site as a symbol of their freedom and their history,” said State Sen. Shev Jones (D-Miami Gardens).

The vote Tuesday comes after lawmakers earlier in the year shifted authority over presidential libraries from local governments to the state. Critics decried the move as preemption, while others rebuked its proximity to the immigration landmark.

“It’s hogwash,” said Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia. “It’s just that people do not like the fact that President Trump is standing up fiercely for the American people, and they’re just going to push back. And that’s political, I would say, not putting the library in the state of Florida.”

The Trump family praised the Cabinet’s donation shortly after the vote.

“Consistent with our family’s DNA, this will be one of the most beautiful buildings ever built, an icon on the Miami skyline,” wrote Eric Trump, son of President Trump.

President Trump became a Florida resident in 2019. He won the state in 2024 by more than 13 percentage points.