Proposal of $25 million for Freedom Tower in Miami restoration

Tallahassee, Florida – Rep. Bryan Avila of Miami Springs has filed a request for $25 million to restore the Freedom Tower in Miami, following up on a proposal by Governor Ron DeSantis.

During the legislative session that will start in January, Lawmakers will consider the budget request (HB 4171).

“This funding will be used to correct critical life safety issues, improve several building systems and equipment, ensure compliance with building codes and with Americans with Disabilities Act, and improve water and sewer infrastructure,” the request said.

DeSantis went to the tower on November 15th to pitch restoration work for the building, which was used in the 1960s to process Cuban refugees and is now an art museum and tied to Miami Dade College.

“You had people flee the (Cuban) communist revolution, starting in the late 1950s, hundreds of thousands of people came right through here, the Freedom Tower in Miami, to be able to have a chance at freedom,” DeSantis said. “That’s something that we need to make sure that we commemorate and that we make sure we carry on the legacy of everybody who sought a better life here.”

Avila’s request is among more than 1,300 bills that House members have filed to seek funding for local projects during the 2022 session.

The requests collectively seek more than $1.7 billion.