PHOTOS: City of Orlando removes Pulse nightclub sign ahead of demolition

Workers remove the Pulse sign from the property on March 11. (Photo by Bellanee Plaza)

ORLANDO | Construction crews removed the Pulse sign outside the nightclub March 11 to make way for a permanent memorial.

The process began by testing the BOSS Crane & Rigging truck at 7 a.m. The top portion of the sign was secured with straps that went through the interior of the sign at 7:30 a.m. The crew worked slowly and carefully to secure the sign.

At 10 a.m., the crew began the process of hooking the top of the sign to the crane and moving it to a flatbed. It took the crew 30 minutes to lower the sign.

In the process, the sign’s white acrylic glass moved out of place and broke, hitting what seemed to be light bulbs. Watermark Out News has reached out to city officials for confirmation on the damage and will update this story should it be received.

The top portion of the sign, which contains the logo, was removed to be preserved for future use. The poles that held up the sign were sawed off by crew members.

The sign will be moved to a climate-controlled storage. City of Orlando officials say it will be preserved and incorporated into the final memorial design.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan were present during the sign removal. They were watching from inside the site, but Sheehan spoke with Watermark Out News before the crew started the removal. She advised she wants the Pulse memorial to be a symbol of hope, not just for her but for the community.

“I’m hoping that tearing this building down is a symbol of moving forward and doing the right thing… we can honor those that were lost and do it in the proper, professional, decent way,” Sheehan says. “We are going to keep doing the right thing. The LGBTQ community has weathered a lot of storms, and a lot of horrible things have happened to us, and we’ve always come together in a positive way.”

The crew removed the white paneling that was around the base of the sign on March 10. They stabilized the structure, as the sign had to be methodically disassembled and secured prior to removal.

Demolition of the nightclub building is expected to begin March 18 ahead of the planned start of construction. 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.

Construction on the permanent Pulse memorial is scheduled to begin this fall, with completion targeted for 2027. The $12-13 million project is funded by the city, county, state and private donors.

Watemark Out News was present during the Pulse sign removal and you can view our photos below.

Photos by Bellanee Plaza.