Gabrielle Russon
An Orlando city committee has finalized plans to build a $7.5 million memorial to honor the 49 people murdered at the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016.
The new vision is a peaceful place with a reflection pool built where the night club’s dance floor once was and rainbow colors to honor those lost in the mass shooting at the LGBTQ+ club.
“The consensus among several of the committee members is that the design will allow the families and survivors to heal knowing they will soon have a place to honor their loved ones,” the city said in a press release.
The proposed plans will go before Orlando City Commission at a Feb. 24 workshop with the city expected to begin searching for a design/build firm in March.
City spokeswoman Andrea Otero said the city will pull the $7.5 million design and construction costs from the city’s general revenue fund.
For the city, it’s a step closer to finding a way to pay tribute to the lives lost and the survivors after the fiasco of the onePulse Foundation.
The foundation that was raising money to build a controversial $100 million memorial and museum dissolved, leaving the city to restart the process. None of the foundation’s money remained, city officials said last year.
The city started an advisory group to create a new concept.
“The final design concept reflects input from the committee, and feedback received from victims’ families, survivors and community members,” the city said Wednesday.
The memorial at the original Pulse building will include a visitor pavilion containing public accommodations, exhibition space and an indoor gathering space.
A survivor’s tribute wall with seating will be next to a tree planted in their honor.
There will be a garden and an “elliptical walkway with 49 Canopy feature columns honoring the 49 victims with rainbow color glass panels.”
A private gathering space will exist for people to leave behind flowers, tie banners or leave personal mementos for their loved ones.
“Designers from Catalyst Design Group and Baker Barrios Architects worked with the committee to create and refine the final design for the Pulse Memorial,” the city said in a press release.
