The city of Orlando, Florida, plans to purchase the Pulse nightclub and transform the site into a memorial.
City Mayor Buddy Dyer has formally announced that a $2 million property acquisition proposal, aimed at creating a memorial for the victims of the tragic 2016 massacre at the Pulse nightclub, where 49 people were killed and 53 others were injured, will be presented to the city council for approval on Oct. 23.
“In the interest of solving challenges in a way that brings our community together in love, acceptance, and partnership, which is the enduring legacy of Pulse, we have decided to purchase the land from its current owners,” Dyer said in a press release. “We believe that this is the best and most appropriate way to expedite the creation of a proper memorial for the Pulse tragedy.”
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Dyer also said that the decision to buy the property came after he met with some families of the victims and survivors, who “shared their desire for a permanent memorial at the Pulse site.”
The current club owners, Barbara Poma and her husband Rosario, along with Daytona Beach businessman Michael Panaggio, expressed their gratitude to Dyer and the commissioners for their agreement to acquire the property.
“After the senseless, horrific tragedy of June 12, 2016, the site where Pulse nightclub stands will finally serve as the permanent national memorial. As we always intended, it will honor the 49 lives taken while providing a sanctuary for victims’ families, all survivors, first responders, and for our community,” the Pomases said in a written statement obtained by the Orlando Sentinel. “Our hope is that this sacred ground will become a space for healing. Pulse nightclub opened as a place of love and acceptance for all and will now forever serve as a reminder that no act of hate can ever erase love.”
If the proposal is approved, once the purchase is finished, Dyer said the city will then decide what to do next.
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