Published
Tue, Nov 8, 2016, 22:39
- City council will vote on the $2.25 million purchase of the venue next week.
On November 14th, Orlando City Council will vote on the planned purchase of Pulse Nightclub for $2.25 million.
The gay club was the site of the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history. In the months since, Pulse's owner Barbara Poma established an organization called OnePulse with the goal of "conceiving, funding and aiding in the construction of a permanent memorial on the existing Pulse site." Now, the city has swept in to do just that.
The Orlando Sentinel reports that "since the massacre, mourners have flowed steadily to the site to pay their respects, leaving behind photos, notes, stuffed animals and other remembrances."
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who negotiated the purchase, told the Sentinel "There are lots of people that are making a visit to the site part of their trip, part of their experience of Orlando, so I think 12 to 18 months of leaving it as-is would be appropriate."
Dyer notes the city will solicit advice from the community as to the most appropriate use for the site, potentially building a roadside display that integrates the club's sign, in the event the sale is approved. Dyer adds the planned memorial will aim to "create something to honor the memory of the victims that are deceased [and] those that were injured, and a testament to the resilience of our community."