Orlando’s Pulse nightclub is slated for demolition by the city beginning Wednesday, March 18, as the next step in the process of building a permanent memorial at the site. According to the city, the process of clearing the former club and the adjacent structure could take “several weeks.”
“We recognize this will be an emotional time for many in our community,” the city shared in a news release.
The Pulse memorial will serve to honor the 49 victims and survivors of the tragic 2016 mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub just south of downtown Orlando off Orange Avenue. It was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history at the time it occurred. The memorial is expected to break ground this September (the city previously stated that this would occur during the summer) and be completed by September 2027.
The city of Orlando took over the project of building a memorial in 2023 after it was abandoned by the now-dissolved nonprofit OnePulse Foundation. That organization, founded by former club owner Barbara Poma, raised millions of dollars over the years for their own $100 million memorial concept that never even broke ground. The nonprofit dissolved in disgrace, amid financial ruin and allegations of mismanagement, at the end of 2023.
The city, meanwhile, has advanced a new effort, funded in part by the city, the county government, and with some help from the state. It’s expected to cost $12 to $12.5 million total, and the city has committed to covering the cost of maintenance and operations after its completion.
City officials have selected contractors Gomez Construction and Borrelli + Partners to build the memorial, and are moving forward with a design developed with the input of some survivors, victims’ family members and others in the community affected by the tragedy.
Critics of the process, however, including some survivors and family members of the shooting victims, have alleged the city pointedly excluded the most vocally critical family members from the development process.
The city put together a committee of individuals affected by the shooting in 2024 to help shape initial design concepts, but only a fraction of those who applied were chosen to take part. A mediator chosen by the city to guide the committee process was also criticized at one point for appearing to have lifted discussion questions for the committee from a grade school lesson plan.
A construction crew took down the Pulse nightclub sign last week and will begin the demolition of the building itself Wednesday morning, beginning at approximately 9 a.m.
Artifacts from the building have already been removed by the city and stored in an environmentally controlled storage facility at an undisclosed location for safekeeping. An 8-foot-tall construction fence has also been placed around the perimeter of the club, adorned by a purple tarp that displays the name of the 49 people killed in the Pulse tragedy.
It was just after 2 a.m. on June 12, 2016 — Latin Night — when a gunman opened fire at the club. Most of the victims were young LGBTQIA people of color.
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