‘Thrilled’: Miami politicians cheer Wynwood’s selection for a new college campus

The leaders of Miami and Miami-Dade County both are praising Carnegie Mellon’s plans for an expansion campus in the hipster enclave of Wynwood, an expansion funded by $2 billion from local hedge-fund mogul Ken Griffin.

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“I am thrilled Carnegie Mellon has chosen Miami-Dade for a major investment,” Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement posted on social media Wednesday. “Carnegie Mellon’s work in education, research and solving major challenges will only strengthen Miami-Dade as a leading destination for technology and innovation.”

Eileen Higgins, the mayor of Miami, which includes the Wynwood neighborhood, said the city will welcome the Pittsburgh university’s arrival “with open arms.”

“Carnegie Mellon is truly one of a kind, as a global leader in artificial intelligence and computer science,” Higgins said. “We are grateful for Ken Griffin’s vision, advocacy and confidence in our city’s extraordinary potential.”

Miami Commissioner Christine King, who represents Wynwood, said in a statement: “Wynwood has always been a place where creativity and new ideas thrive. CMU’s arrival ensures this spirit will endure for generations to come.”

The taxing district that funds services and events within Wynwood, the Wynwood Business Improvement District (BID), called the plans a milestone for the neighborhood’s long-term growth.

“This is a defining moment for Wynwood, and it didn’t happen by accident,” said David Lombardi, chairman of the Wynwood BID. “The vision has always been to build a lasting neighborhood where creativity and entrepreneurship can thrive. We see Carnegie Mellon’s choice of Wynwood as a vote of confidence in that work and in the community that made it possible.”

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Griffin donated $3 billion to Carnegie Mellon, with $2 billion for the Miami campus and $1 billion for the university’s main campus in Pittsburgh. It is Griffin’s largest-ever gift and the largest single gift by an individual to an institution of higher education, according to a news release from Carnegie Mellon. “This may be the most impactful investment I will make in my lifetime — both for Miami and for our nation,” Griffin, the Citadel CEO who relocated to South Florida in 2022, told the Miami Herald.

The new 35-acre campus will support more than 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students, as well as 300 faculty and 600 staff. Construction is planned to start next year, and the university expects to begin enrolling students in 2028.

Carnegie Mellon University Miami will take over the site of Mana Wynwood, a convention center that hosts festivals and conferences. The venue was developed by businessman Moishe Mana, who was for a time Wynwood’s largest private landowner.

Madeline Pumariega, president of the public Miami Dade College, said in a statement that her school “is a proud partner” alongside Carnegie Mellon, which is planning partnerships with the community college and other local schools. “Inspiring to see Ken Griffin’s continued belief in Miami,” Pumariega said in a statement.

Higgins and Levine Cava plan to join Gov. Ron DeSantis in Wynwood on Thursday morning for a media briefing led by Griffin and Carnegie Mellon President Farnam Jahanian, according to a news release.

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This story was originally published September 30, 2026 at 11:53 AM.