OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Ten years after the Pulse nightclub shooting, Osceola County is preparing to build its own tribute to the 49 victims, giving families and survivors a place to heal closer to home.
On Wednesday, following a private groundbreaking with families connected to Pulse, District 4 Commissioner Cheryl Grieb and artist JEFRË shared the latest vision for the Wings of the Rainbow Artistic Tribute & Garden, set along Macy Island Road in Kissimmee.
For many Osceola County residents, the tribute is deeply personal. Grieb said several families in the area were directly affected by the tragedy.
“We had several families in the Osceola County area that were affected by this, many of which I visited at their homes, in the hospital and funerals,” Grieb said.
[WATCH: 10 years of remembrance after Pulse Nightclub shooting]
For some of those who live in Osceola County, visiting the site of the former Pulse nightclub in Orlando may be too painful, making a closer, dedicated space all the more meaningful.
The project was not always planned for its current location. The tribute was originally set for another part of District 4 before organizers changed both the site and the design.
“The original tribute was designed for a different location and envisioned as one artwork within a larger park,” JEFRË, the artist behind the tribute design, said.
“When the site changed, we were given an opportunity to rethink the project and create something even more meaningful.”
What was once 49 individual sculptural elements has been reimagined as seven wings — inspired by the seven colors of the rainbow — that rise 49 feet high and come together to form an eternal flame, a symbol of unity and hope.
“While the form changed, the meaning never did,” JEFRË said.
“The sculpture still rises 49 feet. The names of 49 remain integrated in the artwork, and the surrounding landscape includes 49 seating elements that honor each life and invite moments of reflection. Together, the seven wings form a single eternal flame, a symbol of hope, unity and spirit, that continues to shine nearly 10 years later.”
[WATCH: With Pulse nightclub building demolished, Orlando prepares for permanent memorial]
JEFRË is no stranger to large-scale public art. He says this project, though smaller in size than some of his previous works, carries unmatched significance.
“I’ve created the largest sculpture in Asia that’s 28 stories tall; this is 49 feet, and probably has more value than anything I’ve ever done in the world just because it honors those people that lost their lives just for having fun that night,” he said.
“The 49 hearts here is probably going to be the most special thing I’ve ever done in my career.”
Grieb tells News 6 that the $250,000 project is being funded through money from the American Rescue Plan Act, while the land itself was donated by a developer and is set to become a county park. JEFRË is completing the artistic work probono.
As of now, there is no set timeline for completion, as permits for the land are still being processed. Organizers held the groundbreaking ceremony to give families an opportunity to celebrate the tribute’s new design.