Cuban immigrant designs Trump presidential library proposal for Miami

Willy Bermello, who emigrated from Cuba to the United States at age nine, has designed a proposal for Donald Trump's presidential library. The site considered for the library is adjacent to Miami's historic Freedom Tower, a landmark for Cuban exiles.

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I am a dreamer. I am like a hunter. I don't wait for clients to come to me, I go to clients.

Bermello, founder of Bermello Ajamil & Partners, stated that the initiative was his own, not a commissioned project. He approached Félix Lasarte, a Cuban-American lawyer involved in site selection, with his independently developed design. "I am a dreamer. I am like a hunter. I don't wait for clients to come to me, I go to clients," Bermello told Telemundo 51.

The proposed design includes a 1,047-foot, 47-story tower, symbolizing Trump's status as the 47th U.S. president. The complex would also feature a replica Oval Office, exhibition areas, auditoriums, and an assembled Air Force One. Bermello mentioned incorporating the presidential plane and adding gold details at the request of Trump's team, noting, "I know the president likes gold a lot, although it's not necessarily my personal taste."

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I know the president likes gold a lot, although it's not necessarily my personal taste.

Trump reportedly questioned the Miami location, asking why he should accept 3 acres there when offered 30 acres in Boca Raton. Bermello argued for the Miami site's strategic value, emphasizing that its proximity to the Freedom Tower, Bayside, and the Port of Miami would draw more visitors than any other presidential library.

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Why should I accept a three-acre property in Downtown Miami when I have been offered 30 acres in Boca Raton?

For Bermello, the project holds personal significance due to his connection with the Freedom Tower. He rejects criticisms that such a large structure might overshadow the historic building, asserting, "The Freedom Tower will always be..."

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Wherever you build your library, people will visit it. But here, next to the Freedom Tower, Bayside, and the Port of Miami, more people will come than to any other presidential library in the country.