ORLANDO, Fla. – An affirmative vote for two items on the Orlando City Council agenda Monday signified another step in the process to create a permanent memorial dedicated to the victims and survivors of the mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in June 2016.
The city of Orlando, which bought the nightclub for $2 million in 2023, is overseeing the creation of the memorial on the same grounds.
In a unanimous vote Monday, Orlando city commissioners voted to approve two items related to the construction and location of the memorial.
The council gave the green light to the city’s chief procurement officer to start negotiations with Gomez Construction Company, which was rated the city’s top ranked firm after a review of businesses that submitted proposals to build and design the memorial.
[WATCH: A look inside Orlando’s Pulse shooting site, 9 years later]
If negotiations with Gomez Construction Company fail, the chief procurement officer is permitted to begin talks with the next highest ranked firm, according to a document attached to Monday’s agenda.
The second notable item approved Monday is the $1 million purchase of a property adjacent to Pulse, with plans to use it as part of the memorial.
The current owner, RMS Investments, LLC, purchased the property in 2023 for $1 million and has agreed to sell the property to the city for the same price.
“Let’s get this done,” said Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan, whose district includes Pulse.
At the outset of Monday’s meeting, Sheehan read a timeline of events since June 12, 2016. She acknowledged the frustration caused by onePULSE Foundation, which raised money with the purported intention of creating a memorial. The organization dissolved due to financial troubles.
“Now we find ourselves here today, nine years later,” Sheehan said. “While what onePULSE did to this community is horrible, it can’t keep us from building a permanent memorial on the site. It is the only appropriate use for the site — the only appropriate use.”
The current nightclub is expected to be torn down next Summer. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer reiterated his hope that a permanent memorial will be complete by summer 2027.