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Florida officials have approved the construction of President Donald Trump's presidential library on a prime waterfront site in downtown Miami. On Tuesday (September 30), Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet voted to gift a 2.63-acre parcel on Biscayne Boulevard to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation. This site, currently used as a parking lot for Miami Dade College, is located next to the historic Freedom Tower, a symbol of Miami's immigrant heritage.
The decision requires that construction of the library must begin within five years, aligning with the end of President Trump's second term. Eric Trump, the president of the foundation and one of its three trustees, expressed enthusiasm for the project. "No monument can fully capture the scale of my father’s legacy, but this library will stand as a tribute to the leader who reshaped history and restored America’s strength," he said in a statement.
The Miami site offers a strategic location with waterfront views, surrounded by luxury high-rises and facing the Kaseya Center, home to the Miami Heat. The land, appraised at over $66 million, could potentially sell for $360 million. The library is expected to function as a museum and exhibit center, as the records of the Trump administration will remain in the capital region, similar to the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
Governor DeSantis emphasized the library's potential to boost public benefit and economic development. The plan has faced some opposition, but DeSantis signed a bill to prevent local governments from blocking the development of presidential libraries, ensuring the project's progress.