Latest news with #PulseMemorial
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Pulse Memorial: Orange County commits $5 million toward permanent site
The Brief Plans for a permanent memorial to the 49 Pulse victims move forward with new county support. Orlando leads the $12M project to honor lives lost in the 2016 mass shooting. Completion is expected by 2027 as officials finalize a joint funding agreement. ORLANDO, Fla. - A permanent memorial honoring the lives lost in the Pulse nightclub shooting is one step closer to reality after Orange County commissioners unanimously approved a $5 million contribution toward the project. What we know A permanent memorial honoring the 49 victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting took a major step forward after Orange County commissioners unanimously approved a $5 million contribution. The memorial will be built at the original site of the nightclub, replacing the current interim tribute. The estimated total cost is $12 million, with the City of Orlando providing the majority of funding. What we don't know A final funding agreement between Orange County and the City of Orlando is still pending. It's also unclear if additional fundraising will be needed to cover remaining costs or when construction will officially begin. Specifics on how the design elements — such as the Angel Ellipse and Healing Garden — will be implemented have not been fully released. The backstory The original plans for the memorial were led by the OnePulse Foundation, which dissolved in 2023 amid delays and internal challenges. In response, the City of Orlando took control of the project and created the Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee in early 2024 to oversee planning and community engagement. Big picture view The memorial aims to become a national symbol of love, inclusion, and remembrance, offering a space for healing nearly a decade after the tragedy. The Pulse shooting was one of the deadliest in U.S. history, and this permanent memorial has long been sought by survivors, victims' families, and the broader LGBTQ+ community. What they're saying The funding pledge comes as the City of Orlando continues efforts to design and construct the long-awaited tribute on the original site of the 2016 mass shooting. The memorial is projected to cost around $12 million in total, with Orlando covering the majority of the expenses. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings emphasized the importance of the memorial during a commission meeting this week. "The city is putting in the bulk of the money and so, they have not asked us to match what they have put in," Demings said. "They have asked for what is the deficit of funds needed to make this site a reality. Demings added that he hopes this project will offer healing, honor those who were lost, and bring comfort to those who continue to grieve. What's next A formal funding agreement between the city and county is still pending approval and will determine how the $5 million will be distributed. The permanent memorial is anticipated to be completed by 2027. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by the Orange County Commission.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Pulse memorial gets $5 million pledge from Orange County
Orange County commissioners unanimously pledged $5 million today to support the city of Orlando's plan to build a memorial to Pulse, honoring its victims and survivors at the site of the former LGBTQ nightclub as the ninth anniversary of the horrific massacre approaches this month. The decision followed a presentation of the proposed memorial, on which construction would begin next summer. It marked another step forward for a remembrance effort that began as a privately led campaign, collapsed amid infighting and misspending, and is being carried forward now by government agencies and public dollars. 'It's time that there is a memorial,' said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, who was the sheriff when a lone gunman opened fire during Latin Night at the club on Orange Avenue on June 12, 2016. 'None of us thought that it would take nine years to get to this point and we can't go back and relitigate all of the failures along the way that have happened, but what we can do is control how we move forward together.' Demings said he did not want the county to be an obstacle to a memorial. The rampage at the club killed 49 people, wounded 53 others and at the time was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Demings asked the capacity audience inside the commission chambers Tuesday to pause for a moment of silence at the beginning of the meeting, then described the proposed memorial as an appropriate tribute to the people and the diverse communities affected by tragedy. Heather Fagan, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer's chief of staff, lauded the county's pledge as another step in the healing process. Orlando City Council welcomes new design for Pulse Memorial Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan urged her counterparts on the county board to help the community move forward. 'I can never forget the screams of the relatives on Orange Avenue as they found out their children and family members were victims. It haunts me to this day, but I also remember how our community came together, city and county to assist the victims and their families,' she told county commissioners. 'I got to know 38 of the 49 families, and they want their loved ones remembered.' As she spoke, Sheehan clutched a rainbow rosary, a gift from Teresa Jacobs, county mayor when the tragedy occurred. 'You have an opportunity to be part of the healing,' Sheehan said. 'This didn't just impact the gay community. There were members of the LatinX community, the African-American community, there were straight allies who were murdered that day. It's important for us to remember all those beautiful people who simply wanted to dance.' The city sought county funds to help design and build a memorial — estimated to cost $12 million — and has itself pledged more than half the anticipated bill. Orlando took over the memorial effort in late 2023 amid the messy collapse of the private onePulse foundation, oversaw a recently concluded citizens' design process, and has promised to complete the structure by the end of 2027. Created to design a memorial, the onePulse Foundation shut down after spending most of the millions it raised to defray its own lavish expenses, including hundreds of thousands of dollars paid to high-priced architects and consultants. Orlando seeks $5 million from Orange County for Pulse memorial; some commissioners are hesitant Mayra Alvear, whose daughter Amanda, died at Pulse, said a completed memorial has much to offer Central Florida. 'This memorial will provide solace, a place for reflection, contemplation…a special place for years to come,' she said. shudak@
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Just stop it': Pulse survivor calls for a boycott of the CommUNITY Rainbow Run
A Pulse survivor is calling on the City of Orlando to put a stop to the CommUNITY Rainbow Run. The event, created a year after the Pulse massacre, was intended to raise funds for the Pulse memorial, but the survivor says the event's intention has changed. 'I'm tired of this. I want them to do their job, and make everybody happy,' said Jorshua N. Hernández-Carrión, who was shot at Pulse in 2016. For almost 10 years, Hernández-Carrión says he's been trying to push for the Pulse Memorial to be built, with no success. 'We wanted the memorial, that's it. Because the city didn't help the survivors, only in 2016,' he said during a Zoom interview because he's now living in Puerto Rico. One year after the massacre, community activists created the CommUNITY Rainbow Run to raise funds for the memorial. However, the foundation has now been dissolved, and the memorial project was taken over by the city. A plan is still in the works, complete with renderings of the memorial that had been approved back in March, although Carrion says survivors and families were left behind. 'A lot of people still need surgery; they need to go to psychiatry, and we have no money,' he said. The survivor has now started a petition to stop the run, claiming the city is turning a tragedy into a celebration and making money on top of it. 'We sent emails to the city, we sent emails to [Mayor] Buddy Dyer, we got no answers,' he said. 'We are families, we are survivors, we have to get a response. If we say we don't want it, we don't want it. They have to stop it.' Family members of victims echoed the same feeling. Belinnete Ocasio lost her brother during the shooting and claims no one from the city or from the former One Pulse Foundation ever reached out to her or her family. 'I try not to stay on top too much because, honestly, it still hurts just thinking about it,' said Ocasio. 'From what I know, that's what it comes down to money. Every event, everything that's regarding pulse, it's always a profit, about money.' The City of Orlando sent the following statement to Channel 9: The CommUNITY Rainbow Run was started by UCF graduate students in 2017 at the one-year mark of the Pulse tragedy. Their vision was to help the community with the healing process, recognizing that running, walking, and spending time with others in a supportive environment can have a positive impact and continue to bring people together. When the City of Orlando purchased the Pulse site in late 2023 and embarked on plans for a permanent memorial, the city heard from victims' families and survivors that the race was meaningful to them and hoped that the city would continue with the event. With this in mind, the city took over the 8th annual event in 2024 and will host the 9th annual event on Saturday, June 7. Channel 9 also reached out to Orlando Health – the run's main sponsor – but has not heard back. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Significant milestone is reached in establishing a permanent Pulse Memorial
The City of Orlando has issued a request for proposals to solicit a design-build firm for the creation of a permanent Pulse Memorial dedicated to the 49 victims taken on June 12, 2016. This significant next step follows the advancement of a conceptual design for a permanent Pulse Memorial by the Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee. The selected design firm will transform the committee's conceptual ideas into detailed, actionable memorial plans. All proposals must be submitted by the deadline of Thursday, May 29, 2025, at 2 p.m. After several months of meetings, discussions and community engagement, the Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee finalized the conceptual design for the permanent Pulse Memorial. The Pulse Memorial Conceptual Design Includes: A Memorial and Reflection Space: Formed by the footprint of the original Pulse building, Survivor's Commons: A Survivor's tribute wall positioned in a landscape that will include a seating area next to a designated survivor's tree, Private Gathering Space: Providing a quiet space for personal reflection and an Angel Personal Effects Capsule where families can leave flowers, tie banners and place personal mementos of their fallen angel, Angel Ellipse Site: An accessible elliptical walkway with 49 Canopy feature columns honoring the 49 victims with rainbow color glass panels, A Reflection Pool: Positioned where the dance floor was, symbolizing peace and remembrance, A Healing and Prism Garden: A garden designed to represent hope and healing, and Visitor Pavilion: Intended as a welcoming space that includes public accommodations, limited exhibition space and indoor gathering space. Following the submission deadline, a contract will then be presented to the Orlando City Council for approval. The firm chosen will also be responsible for the memorial's construction, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027. Related Stories: Read: Orlando City Council to discuss design proposal for permanent Pulse memorial Photos: Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee unveils new renderings for nightclub memorial Watch: Orlando City Council to discuss design proposal for permanent Pulse memorial Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Monday: Orlando City Council to discuss design proposal for permanent Pulse Memorial
Orlando city leaders on Monday will review the design proposal for a permanent Pulse memorial. Earlier this month, an advisory committee submitted its ideas for the memorial to honor the 49 people who died at the nightclub in 2016. PREVIOUS: Pulse Memorial project moves on to next phase The design includes a reflecting pool, a water wall, an arc of columns, a private gathering space and lots of colorful glass. The concept incorporated elements and feedback from the victims' families and survivors of the massacre. A workshop to discuss the final process is set for 10 a.m. at Orlando City Hall. The public can attend in person or watch the meeting virtually by clicking HERE. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
