ORLANDO, Fla. — Leaders with the city of Orlando will hold a meeting Thursday afternoon to give an update on the design of the permanent Pulse memorial as the project has reached the 30% design benchmark. 

What You Need To Know

Orlando to host a public meeting Thursday at 4 p.m. on the Pulse memorial 30% design phase benchmark

June 12, 2026, will mark 10 years since 49 people were killed inside the former Pulse nightclub

Crews will remove and store the Pulse sign on March 10, and demolition will begin on March 18

City leaders expect the permanent memorial to be completed by fall 2027

The city stated the design team will share a presentation that shows how the memorial design is advancing the work of the Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee.

According to the city, at the meeting the design team will share a presentation that shows how the memorial design is advancing the work of the Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee. The public can attend the meeting in-person or virtually.

At the site of the former nightclub, the sound of machinery is echoing as the landscape changes once again.

“A lot to take in and believe that it’s actually going to happen. It’s a lot to process,” Nancy Rosado, a member of the Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee, said.

Crews are clearing the way for the permanent memorial. 

“It’s tangible now, and the fact that it’s tangible, the fact that they’re actually clearing the trees means that they’re actually going to use the building over there as a welcome center,” Rosado said.

Rosado has been actively involved as part of the Pulse committee formed by the city of Orlando to design the permanent memorial at the site of the 2016 nightclub terror attack.

“I’m happy to see the trees coming down. It means that the area is being processed. I think the difficult part is going to be when they actually start tearing down the building,” she said.

Since the city took over the permanent memorial in October 2023, Rosado has been behind the collaborative efforts to come up with the design.

“You need a design. You need a team of people to have input, both in a cultural sense and a community sense for the Hispanic community and the LGBTQ community. So, it’s been a process that’s been very, very important and I think pretty meticulously done this time around,” she said.

June 12, 2026, will mark 10 years since 49 people were killed inside of the former Pulse nightclub. 

Pulse survivor Ricardo Negron said he feels grateful seeing progress toward a permanent memorial. 

“Seeing that it’s actually happened it’s a good thing, at least in my opinion, and I can only speak for myself. It is a good thing that we’re moving forward with having that final place that we can call our own for our community,” Negron said.

A construction fence lines the property of the Pulse site. With the fencing in place, the temporary memorial is no longer accessible, but there is a small area where the community can leave items like flowers and flags during the construction phase. 

“Our community, the LGBTQ community and Hispanic community deserve a marker, something that signifies these people’s lives, and that they were very innocently taken from us. So, it’s a good thing in a very broad sense. It’s a good thing that we’re moving forward,” Rosado said.

A statement sent by the city of Orlando about the demolition plans said in part:

“As we prepare for this difficult transition, we recognize the significance and weight of this moment. We hope that you will continue to uplift the families and the survivors to ensure the legacy of our 49 angels continues to shine.”

Construction of the permanent Pulse memorial is expected to begin once the site is fully cleared.

Here is a timeline of the demolition process:

On March 10, the Pulse sign will be removed and securely stored  
The building will be demolished starting March 18
Site clearing will continue over the summer with construction planned to begin in the fall
They expect construction to be completed by December 2027

Rosado said some of the victims’ families have talked to her about experiencing mixed feelings surrounding this demolition. 

“Does that fix the hurt and the pain of what’s happened over these years? Absolutely not. Everybody grieves at their own pace. Everybody feels at their own pace, and they may see this as good. The building is going to be destroyed, but there are others that are like I spent so many wonderful nights there. All the mixed feelings will come up all over again,” Rosado said.

Negron said he believes the demolition is a step in the right direction.

“I don’t know if closure is the right word, but I think it’s a great step in the healing journey for definitely for me and I would like to think that for others as well,” he said.

For those experiencing mixed feelings, Rosado’s advice is to seek help when needed.

“Do not sit there in pain by yourself or just sitting, waiting for it to pass. You don’t have to stay in pain. You can get better sooner,” she said.

That is a pain that’s very familiar for Negron as he remembers what happened that night. 

“Yeah, I was actually inside. I mean, I remember vividly being in the bar area of the main dance floor,” Negron said.

He says it hits even harden every year when June comes around. 

“The emotions are just higher, everything is really in your face, so to speak, and now with everything that’s happening with finally the memorial moving forward. It’s kind of like inevitable to think about what happened here and everything that led us to where we are today,” Negron said.

Negron said although he still lives close to the Pulse site, he chooses not to visit often, but once the permanent memorial is complete, he’ll be back. 

“I do want to see what it becomes, and I will definitely be around to see it,” Negron said.

City leaders expect the permanent memorial to be completed by fall 2027. 

The public can attend the 4 p.m. meeting in-person at City Hall or virtually.