(Photo courtesy City of Orlando)
ORLANDO | Design plans for the permanent Pulse memorial have reached 30% completion as of March 5, with demolition scheduled to begin in the coming days.
Officials and designers for the long-sought memorial to the victims of the 2016 Pulse shooting revealed partial images for the first time at City Hall.
The renderings showed the conceptual design crafted by the advisory board in 2024; however, there were changes, such as half the original number of columns supporting the arching structure. The elliptical pathway surrounds the space, and designers said the modification worked better for the size of the property.
The modification also allows for more space as there will be spots to reflect and grieve. The columns represent the victims; each column will have the name of a victim and potentially display the flag of each nationality.
In the private gathering area, there will be a location of capsules assigned to each of the 49 lives lost in 2016. The renderings showed a reflection pool with a rainbow ripple design in the center, alongside the “angel ellipse.” On the north side, a water wall will also have the names of each victim along with the quote “For all those who just wanted to dance” in English and Spanish.
When speaking about the memorial, Dan-Michael Trbovich, the project manager for the firm Borrelli and Partners, became emotional when saying that this memorial has the ability to heal and that this is an active engagement.
“This tragedy took more than lives,” Trbovich said tearfully. “It harmed people who survived, deeply affected their lives. We wanted the opportunity for people to commune, to sit, to reflect with those that they lost… and in some measure, heal, forgive and to move on because life will move on, but I believe those of our past seek to be remembered.”
The design group has previously worked on the National September 11 memorial. Gomez Construction Company of Winter Park is also part of the project.
The permanent memorial is planned for the former site of the nightclub at 1912 S. Orange Ave, where 49 people were killed, and 53 were wounded in what was then the nation’s deadliest mass shooting.
The LGBTQ+ nightclub was hosting Latin Night when the shooting happened, and more than 90% of the victims were Hispanic or Latino.
The memorial will also include a 3,500 square foot visitors’ center and will have items connected with the nightclub on display. The designers also spoke about the idea of a “survivor’s tree” planted at the site, possibly an olive tree, which represents peace and unity throughout history.
During the public comment section of the meeting, the two people who spoke were critical of the design and the long process that led to the memorial. Christine Hanavan said the city ignored victims and families who disagreed with the memorial plans. She stated her concerns, calling the memorial insensitive.
“I’m especially concerned with the wood floor and outside patio tiles on the so-called artifact list, and that you’re going to use the unpermitted dance floor as part of the reflecting pool. Dozens of people died on those floors, another person died on that patio,” she said. “All of this is absolutely abhorrent. It shows zero empathy and consideration for the survivors and victims.”
The memorial was delayed for years after the years of uncertainty and the founding and dissolution of the onePULSE Foundation, which was started in late 2016 by Pulse nightclub owner Barbara Poma.
The original project, unveiled in 2019 by the onePULSE Foundation, called for a museum and permanent memorial costing $45 million. That estimate eventually soared to $100 million.
When the foundation quietly dissolved at the end of 2023, trust was broken in the community, particularly among survivors and families.
The city ultimately purchased the Pulse property last year for $2 million, as well as a neighboring property for $1 million.
On March 10, crews are expected to begin dismantling the Pulse sign outside the nightclub. The following week, March 18, the demolition of the nightclub building is expected to begin ahead of the planned start of construction of the memorial in September.
The next public presentation will be for the 60% design update, which will occur in May 2026. Completion is scheduled for September 2027.
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