President Donald Trump is scoping out Florida Atlantic University’s campus in Boca Raton as a potential location for his presidential library.
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The public research university has already offered Trump a 100-year lease at no cost, and the president's circle is moving forward on plans to build on the campus, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Plans are already underway to secure financing, backed by a new nonprofit, legal measures in Tallahassee and tens of millions from lawsuit settlements and leftover political funds.
In preparation for the “MAGA mecca,” the president’s son, Eric Trump, and son-in-law, Michael Boulos, have started a nonprofit named The Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation Inc., according to state corporate filings.
“The Foundation is organized exclusively for charitable, educational and historical purposes, specifically to steward, preserve and celebrate the legacy and historical record of President Donald J. Trump and his presidency,” the filing says.
Construction of the complex is expected to be funded by donors, as well as the more than $37M from lawsuit settlements Trump has received — including $15M from ABC News and $25M from Meta — and leftover inauguration funds, the WSJ reported.
The president is planning ahead for memorabilia and plans to turn the $400M Boeing 747 jet his administration received as a gift from Qatar into an attraction at the library.
“He redefined the presidency, so there is no question in my mind he will redefine the post-presidency, including what a modern presidential library looks like,” Chief Executive of the LBJ Foundation Mark Updegrove told the WSJ.
FAU didn't respond to Bisnow’s request for comment
When Trump first started considering a presidential library, including Miami's Florida International University as a prospect, Florida lawmakers worked to smooth the path.
The state passed a presidential library bill, HB 69, that blocks counties and municipalities from enacting or enforcing any measures regarding the presidential libraries unless authorized by federal law, according to Florida Politics.
The Boca Raton location is no surprise given its proximity to Mar-a-Lago, which Trump owns and where the Trump administration has maintained a consistent presence.
In February, the administration signed four-year leases for three homes just two blocks away from Mar-a-Lago, according to General Services Administration records. The total cost for the leases is expected to reach $13.3M, which is far higher than market value, Bloomberg reported.
The Trump Organization is also moving forward with plans to build 1,500 luxury condos at the Trump National Doral golf resort in Miami-Dade County. The first active U.S. development by a sitting U.S. president is also Trump's first ground-up project in Florida since 2012.
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