Miami's Freedom Tower just got a $5 million gift from the Knight Foundation
The Knight Foundation has pledged $5 million to support the restoration and reopening of Miami's iconic Freedom Tower, Miami Dade College announced this week.
The donation comes ahead of the tower's 100th anniversary and a planned public reopening in September. The funds will support new cultural programming, including a major exhibition and gallery, as well as ongoing preservation work at the downtown landmark, which has been closed since 2022.
The Knight Foundation gift is the largest private contribution so far to the Freedom Tower Centennial Campaign, which aims to raise money to revitalize the nearly century-old building and reaffirm its role as a center for arts, culture and history in Miami.
'This gift is a testament to the belief that Miami's history deserves to be preserved, celebrated, and shared,' said MDC President Madeline Pumariega. 'Thanks to Knight Foundation's support, the Freedom Tower will continue to serve as a beacon of civic memory, cultural expression and community pride for the next 100 years.'
The $5 million donation will fund the creation of the Knight Skylight Gallery and a new signature exhibition, 'Refuge and Reflection,' set to open this fall. The exhibit will explore the building's multifaceted history — from its early days as a journalism hub to its later role processing Cuban refugees in the 1960s and 1970s.
'For so many families, including my own, this landmark has long been a symbol of hope — a place where dreams of freedom and opportunity took root, said Francesca de Quesada Covey, the Knight Foundation's vice president of community impact. 'It holds the stories of our community's history, identity and resilience. With this gift, we're helping ensure those stories continue to be shared in ways that inspire and unite future generations.'
Located on Biscayne Boulevard, the Freedom Tower has long stood as a symbol of Miami's immigrant roots. In 2008, it was designated a National Historic Landmark.
The 289‑foot tower, often called the 'Ellis Island of the South,' was completed in 1925 as the headquarters of The Miami News, serving as a landmark of Miami's early 20th‑century growth. It later became the Cuban Refugee Assistance Center from 1962 to 1974, where hundreds of thousands of Cuban exiles found welcome, medical aid and new beginnings.
MDC closed the tower in 2022 to begin a two-year, $25 million restoration. The project includes much-needed structural and façade repairs, but doesn't alter the building's Mediterranean-style exterior.
The Knight Foundation's support comes alongside public investment. Earlier this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis included $25 million for the project in his state budget proposal. The college has also received a $500,000 state cultural grant and has formed a centennial advisory committee co-chaired by Gloria and Emilio Estefan.
With construction underway, the college says it is on track to reopen the Freedom Tower in time for its centennial. In addition to the new exhibition, the renovated space will feature reimagined versions of the Cuban Legacy Gallery and the Kislak Center, housing artifacts, manuscripts and art celebrating Miami's diverse heritage.
'This gift is a testament to the belief that Miami's history deserves to be preserved, celebrated, and shared,' Pumariega said.
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