ORLANDO, Fla. — The city of Orlando, Florida, has approved plans to purchase the Pulse nightclub property in order to turn it into a memorial for the 49 people who were killed seven years ago.
Orlando commissioners on Monday voted and approved a deal to buy the Pulse nightclub property for $2 million, according to WFTV.
The purchase comes about seven years after the city of Orlando made an offer to buy the Pulse nightclub property for $2.25 million in 2017, according to the news outlet. The owners pulled out of that contract, which led to the creation of the One Pulse Foundation.
The foundation in May announced a deal with operation owners and a third party fell apart and the foundation suggested a memorial at a different location. According to WFTV, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said that the city approached the owners soon after that deal fell apart.
Dyer said that the city is planning to have a collaborative approach to putting the memorial together, according to The Associated Press. This means that the city will work with the victims’ families to create the memorial.
“City Council approval to purchase the Pulse site is the first step to ensure a permanent memorial. While there may never be consensus among those impacted by the tragedy, input from victims’ families and survivors will be key to the process moving forward,” Dyer said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
City Council approval to purchase the Pulse site is the first step to ensure a permanent memorial. While there may never be consensus among those impacted by the tragedy, input from victims’ families and survivors will be key to the process moving forward. https://t.co/lpirEJllHY
— Mayor Buddy Dyer (@orlandomayor) October 23, 2023
The mayor said that there are still multiple questions to be worked out about the design of the permanent memorial and other factors, WFTV reported. The deal for the property is set to close on Friday.
“We look forward to being a part of the discussion with the City of Orlando as this moves forward,” a statement from the onePulse Foundation said, according to the AP.
The memorial is to honor the 49 people who were killed on June 12, 2016, when Omar Mateen opened fire in the nightclub, according to the AP. 53 people were also injured in the shooting. A SWAT team killed Mateen during a standoff after pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group.
It was the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history until the shooting at a country music festival in Las Vegas the following year where 58 people were killed and more than 850 were injured, the AP reported.
