August trial set in case challenging Miami land transfer for Trump's presidential library

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A trial has been set for August 2026 in a lawsuit seeking to block the transfer of a parcel of prime Miami real estate to be used for President Donald Trump’s presidential library.

The decision Monday by Circuit Judge Mavel Ruiz in Miami will further delay Miami Dade College's plans to formally transfer the sizable plot of land to the state of Florida, which intends to gift it to the foundation for the planned library.

Miami activist Marvin Dunn, a retired professor and chronicler of local Black history, filed the lawsuit arguing that the college board violated Florida’s Government in the Sunshine law by not providing sufficient notice for its special meeting on Sept. 23, when it voted to give up the nearly 3-acre (1.2-hectare) property.

Last month, Ruiz sided with Dunn and granted a temporary injunction that bars the transfer of the property, at least for now.

Attorneys for the college had asked the judge to stay the trial proceedings pending an appellate court's review. Instead, Ruiz scheduled the trial to begin Aug. 3, though she acknowledged that could change, depending on how the appeals court proceeds.

The property 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 an iconic stretch of palm tree-lined Biscayne Boulevard — could sell for hundreds of millions of dollars more.

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Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.