ORLANDO, Fla. – The city of Orlando is now accepting design and construction proposals for a permanent Pulse memorial, marking the next step in the process to honor the lives of 49 people killed in 2016.
The city on Monday issued a Request for Proposals to find a design-build firm that will create the permanent memorial dedicated to those who died on June 12, 2016.
After a series of meetings, a Pulse Advisory Committee finalized the conceptual design for the memorial. The 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.
“I got to know 38 of 49 families who lost someone, and it was a very difficult time,” Commissioner Patty Sheehan said during an Orlando City Council meeting last week on the memorial project. “So, thank you for the committee to taking it to the next level because in the beginning, Mayor Dyer and I had to be the voice for the voiceless. And then you have to found your voice and brought it forward. So, thank you to every one of you who served.”
The project is expected to break ground in 2026, with completion anticipated in the second half of 2027.
Proposals will be accepted through 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 29. Interested firms can submit their proposals here.
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In October 2023, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said calls from family members helped convince the city to enter into an agreement to purchase the Pulse property on Orange Avenue.
And to assist the city in creating the memorial, an advisory committee was created and opened for applicants in June 2024.
“Obviously, this took years to get where we are today, and realistically, this was months of meetings and a lot of feedback,” committee member Perry Snider said after the committee finalized its design.