Trump administration considers sale of some Miami federal buildings
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The David W. Dyer Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images
Several Miami federal buildings could be on the chopping block as the Trump administration seeks to sell offices that "are not core to government operations."
Why it matters: Among the local properties that the General Services Administration slated for sale are a former courthouse leased to Miami Dade College, Miami's local Coast Guard headquarters and the offices of the Inspector General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Yes, but: After the GSA originally published its list of "non-core" properties slated for "disposal" on March 4, the federal agency removed the list from its website.
- The GSA clarified that just because a property is listed, it doesn't mean it's for sale. The agency said it will "consider compelling offers" and prioritize government and taxpayer interests.
- The agency said it had gotten "overwhelming" interest and expects to republish the list "after we evaluate this initial input."
Zoom in: The GSA list targeted three federal buildings in Miami and one in West Palm Beach.
David W. Dyer Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse
Market value: $75.8 million (per Miami-Dade Property Appraiser's Office)
- The historic former downtown courthouse, constructed in 1933, was transferred to Miami Dade College in 2016 under 115-year lease costing MDC $1 a year.
- MDC has been renovating the building — with at least $60 million in funding from its own fiscal reserves — into a "state-of-the-art hub for arts, innovation, and technology," according to a November 2024 press release.
- The college had been aiming to reopen the Dyer building in late 2025 or 2026, according to a Miami Today report from last year.
- MDC did not immediately respond when Axios asked about the future of its lease or the renovation project.
Claude Pepper Federal Building
Appraised at $27.4m
- The downtown building houses several federal offices, including an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center, the South Florida district office for the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Miami Military Entrance Processing Station under the Department of Defense.
Brickell Plaza Building
Market value: $61.3m
- The Biden administration reportedly wanted to sell this federal property, at 909 SE First Ave., last December but it remains in government ownership.
- It houses the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Coast Guard's Seventh District.
AUTEC Building
Appraised value not available
- The West Palm Beach federal building houses a major detachment of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center's Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center.
- AUTEC, which also has a detachment in the Bahamas, is described as a "US Navy project offering underwater testing, in-air test facilities and support to United States, Canadian, British, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and other military and civilian organizations."
- The AUTEC building also houses a local Social Security Office.