Orlando finalizes Pulse Memorial plans, with city council set to review recommendations
The Brief
The Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee held its final meeting Tuesday, finalizing recommendations for Orlando's memorial to honor the 2016 nightclub shooting victims.
The committee could not reach a consensus on whether to display the breached wall, leaving the decision to the city council.
The memorial, set for completion in late summer or early fall 2027, will feature an angel ellipse, healing garden, survivor's wall, and space for individualized tributes.
ORLANDO, Fla, - The final design for the Pulse Memorial was unveiled Tuesday as the Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee worked on a few unfinished details.
What we know
The Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee finalized its recommendations for a memorial to honor the victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting.
Renderings on display show the memorial will be built on the Pulse Nightclub property. The committee has proposed designs that include an "Angel Ellipse," a healing garden, a survivor's wall, and space for the names of all 49 victims, along with individual memorials.
However, there are still unresolved decisions regarding the inclusion of a wall from the building where law enforcement rescued survivors. The committee also could not agree on how the victims' names should be displayed.
The final recommendations will be presented to the Orlando City Council for review. Additionally, the city will begin accepting bids for the construction of the memorial in March.
What we don't know
The committee could not decide whether the breached wall, where law enforcement entered to save survivors, should be part of the memorial.
While some committee members believe it is crucial for preserving history, others argue that keeping it could prevent emotional healing. Furthermore, the specifics of how the victims' names will be displayed—whether on a single wall or individually — remain undecided, with the City Council set to make the final determination.
The backstory
The Pulse nightclub shooting, which occurred in June 2016, resulted in 49 deaths and numerous injuries, making it one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history.
Since then, the creation of a memorial to honor the victims has been a priority. The City of Orlando took over the planning process from the OnePulse Foundation, which dissolved last year. The committee, formed in 2024, has spent months discussing and debating the memorial's design.
Big picture view
The Pulse Memorial represents a powerful step toward healing for Orlando and the broader LGBTQ+ community, offering a space for remembrance and reflection.
The memorial's design aims to honor the victims while also serving as a symbol of resilience and community. However, the ongoing debate about the inclusion of the breached wall reflects the delicate balance between memory and healing, which is a sensitive topic for survivors and victims' families.
What they're saying
Nancy Rosado, a Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee member, said this has not been an easy process.
"Everyone came in with certain ideas. The beauty of it was coming to that point of consensus," she added.
But the breached wall is receiving push back.
"Including something like that does not allow for healing," said Rev. Marcelino Rivera, another member of the committee.
However, for Brett Rigas, committee member and Pulse survivor, the breached wall is personal.
"Being a survivor and being able to make it out of the building, it's important to me that part of that building stays there," he said.
"It has been a lot of emotions, and we've gone through a lot," added committee member Perry T. Snider Jr. "There's been traumas and things that we've pulled up that I haven't experienced in years. It's been great that we've been able to come together to bring this back to everyone in Orlando."
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer opened Tuesday's meeting, marking the culmination of months of planning since the committee began work last summer.
"I have three more years as the mayor of the great City of Orlando. One of my goals is that we complete this process to finality before I turn over the reins to whoever is going to be the next mayor."
What's next
On Feb. 24, the Orlando City Council will hold a workshop to discuss the committee's recommendations. In March, the city will begin requesting bids for the construction of the memorial.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer hopes the memorial will be completed near the end of his mayoral term, around late summer or early fall 2027.
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