ORLANDO, Fla. – About nine years after 49 lives were lost in one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history, the future site of the Pulse memorial remains empty, marked only by a fence and a sign.
Thursday marked a key deadline in the long-delayed effort to build a permanent memorial, as designers were required to submit final plans to the city. While city officials say the process is finally moving forward, many in the Orlando community are left frustrated by the slow pace and years of missed opportunities.
“What was supposed to be a symbol of healing became a case study in mismanagement,” said one resident attending a public input session earlier this year.
The project has been marred by controversy since its inception. The onePULSE Foundation, a nonprofit originally tasked with building a memorial and museum, dissolved last year after failing to raise enough funds or produce a finished plan. In 2023, the city of Orlando stepped in, purchasing the Pulse nightclub property for $2 million and forming a new advisory committee to restart the process.
“The city’s only been involved in this for a little more than a year and a half after the foundation failed to get it done,” Mayor Buddy Dyer said Wednesday. “But it’s critically important for our community, for the healing, to finish this memorial.”
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
The city-led effort has included months of public meetings aimed at rebuilding trust and incorporating feedback from survivors, victims’ families, and local residents.
“I’m hoping there’s closure,” Dyer added. “We’re almost past the ten-year mark, that we finally get the memorial done.”
[WATCH: Orlando City Council to review Pulse memorial design recommendations]
The current proposed design features 49 tribute columns, a reflection pond, and a garden space. However, construction isn’t expected to begin until late 2026. If all goes according to plan, the permanent memorial could open in 2027, more than eleven years after the massacre.
[WATCH: Orlando prepares to move forward with Pulse memorial project]
Final designs are expected to be reviewed by the city this fall. Until then, the site remains a painful reminder of what was lost, and what still hasn’t been built.