Judge Temporarily Stops Transfer Of MDC Parking Lot For Trump Library
Eleventh circuit court judge Mavel Ruiz declared a temporary injunction to prevent the Miami Dade College District Board of Trustees from conveying a 2.63-acre lot to the State of Florida for construction of the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library.
The ruling, which was formally filed on Monday, was first verbally granted during a hearing on Oct. 14. Ruiz sided with local historian Marvin Dunn’s request to hold a new public BOT meeting to discuss the land transfer.
Dunn has been ordered to post a $150,000 bond in the next 10 days for the injunction to proceed.
“I am elated about the decision,” Dunn said. He later added, “It means that now there will be a trial, there will be depositions, there will be public discovery, so we will find out exactly what happened in this great land giveaway.”
Miami Dade College President Madeline Pumariega replied to an email from The Reporter requesting comments about Ruiz’s ruling, stating that she would provide a response, but she has yet to provide the paper a comment.
The court ruled that the BOT did not give reasonable notice to the public about a special meeting on Sept. 23 at Hialeah Campus, where they unanimously voted to transfer a parking lot that sits next to the Freedom Tower to the State of Florida. The decision was voided by Ruiz.
“The statement in the Notice concerning ‘possible real estate transactions’ did not identify which real estate would be discussed or what transaction would be considered. Thus, the Notice did not apprise members of the public about the pendency of the matters that might affect their right,” the court wrote in a docket entry on Nov. 3.
According to the docket, the BOT has filed an appeal to a higher court to review Ruiz’s ruling. A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 24.
Dunn is hosting a “Teach-In” on the history of MDC and the protection of public land tomorrow at the Teach the Truth Garden in Overtown, 934 N.W. Third Avenue at 12 p.m.
Click here to subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter, The Hammerhead. For news tips, contact us at mdc.thereporter@gmail.com.
