ORLANDO, Fla. – The city of Orlando is set to begin removing items from inside the Pulse nightclub building Monday morning, nearly a decade after the 2016 mass shooting that killed 49 people.
City officials say the removal of artifacts is part of preparations for the eventual demolition of the building, with items preserved until decisions are made about what may be incorporated into a future permanent memorial.
In March or April 2026, Gomez Construction Company is expected to begin removing the Pulse building and the adjacent vacant building on the site. The company will then clear the land to prepare it for construction of a new permanent memorial, according to the city.
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The city provided the following initial list of artifacts that may change once removal begins:
- Two chandeliers
- Signage and posters
- Ornamental framed mirror
- Bar top
- Track lighting including track
- Cash register
- Primary section of breach wall
- Portion of the sunburst wall inside the club
- Portion of the “Glitter” wall inside the club
- Wood floor (as much as possible)
- Rectangular ceiling pendant lights
- iPad
- The numbers on the outside of the building
- Tiles from the outside patio bar
Additionally, some items that were part of the temporary memorial will be removed and preserved:
- An approximately 4 foot by 8 foot piece of the existing memorial fence
- Benches on existing memorial site
- Remembrance items left by family, friends and/or visitors
All preserved artifacts will be moved to an environmentally-controlled warehouse, according to the city, until determinations are made about their future use.
[MORE: Orlando city council to vote on Pulse memorial funding deal]
Visitors at the memorial said the changes are difficult.
“You have all those souls that were lost there. Let them rest in peace,” said Luis Laboy, who visited the site Sunday morning with his wife and grandson.
Laboy said it hurts to see the memorial altered and believes the building and its contents should remain untouched.
“If they’re going to leave the building as it is then they should leave what is as is,” Laboy said. “No one will ever step inside of it. It’s going to remain the way it is.”
He said the pain of losing loved ones to gun violence does not fade over time.
“So those that didn’t lose anyone here they’re feeling they can move on,” Laboy said. “For those that lost loved ones in this tragedy, it’s hard. You can never move forward after losing a loved one.”
The removal of artifacts comes months after the Florida Department of Transportation removed the rainbow crosswalk that had been installed as part of the memorial. The crosswalk remains black and white, and protesters later incorporated barricades left behind by FDOT into the memorial.
The city has posted temporary no-parking signs near the Pulse memorial during the removal process. Visitors are encouraged to find alternate parking and walk to the site.
[PULSE: Protesters released from jail after crosswalk arrest]