(Photo by Dylan Todd)
ORLANDO | The City of Orlando will “begin to carefully remove select artifacts” from the Pulse nightclub Dec. 22 as it works toward creating a permanent memorial at the site of the mass shooting that claimed 49 lives and injured many more.
Items to be removed include the “chandeliers, bar top, posters and other interior items that have been carefully prepackaged inside of the building,” the city said.
“These items will then be transported to an environmentally controlled warehouse. While we have not finalized if these artifacts will be a part of the permanent memorial, we want to ensure their preservation during the design and construction phase,” the city said in a news release.
View a full list of artifacts below:
- Two chandeliers
- Signage and posters
- Ornamental framed mirror
- Bar top
- Track lighting, including track
- Cash register
- Primary section of breach wall
- Portion of the sunburst wall inside the club
- Portion of the “Glitter” wall inside the club
- Wood floor (as much as possible)
- Rectangular ceiling pendent lights
- iPad
- The numbers on the outside of the building
- tiles from the outside patio bar
There are some items that were part of the temporary memorial will be removed and preserved such as:
- An approximately 4’x8’ piece of the existing memorial fence
- Benches on existing memorial site
- Remembrance items left by family, friends and/or visitors
The city will begin the next phase of construction after the items are removed, which will include the removal of the Pulse sign and clearing the site.
The estimated timeline for construction is:
- February 2026: 30% design plans
- March/April 2026: Site clearing begins
- May 2026: 60% design plans
- Early fall 2026: start of construction
- Late 2027: Construction completed
The Orlando City Council voted unanimously July 14 to begin contract negotiations for the construction of the Pulse memorial. The council agreed that Gomez Construction Company of Winter Park was the best of the three firms seeking to join the project.
The council also approved buying land adjacent to the Pulse site owned by Orlando businessman and GOP megadonor Craig Mateer for $1 million so it can be included in the memorial. The price is the same as what Mateer purchased it for from the onePULSE Foundation.
For more information, visit PulseOrlando.org.
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