ORLANDO, Fla. — June 12, 2016, will always represent a day that scarred the Central Florida community forever.
And as the city inches closer to the 10-year mark since the tragic mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub, it is also one step closer to a Pulse Memorial being fully realized.
What You Need To Know
The city of Orlando unveiled the 30% design update for the Pulse Memorial Thursday
Gomez Construction and Borrelli and Partners are in charge of the design and construction of the 3,500 square foot memorial, and received feedback from the Pulse Advisory Committee
The presentation showcased parts of the memorial, which include an angel ellipse, reflecting pool, private gathering area, and survivors wall, among other features
Construction is expected to start in September 2026
On Thursday, more than 3,500 days and several delays later, the city of Orlando was able to showcase the 30% design update for the Memorial.
“And we wanted to make sure that we had a daytime and a nighttime presence for the memorial itself,” said Borrelli and Partners Senior Associate Dan-Michael Trbovich.
Gomez Construction and Borrelli and Partners are in charge of the design and construction of the 3,500 square foot memorial, which includes an angel ellipse, reflecting pool, private gathering area, and survivors wall, among other features.
Project leaders say they hope to give families, survivors and visitors a chance to reflect, feel, and honor everyone impacted.
“This tragedy took more than lives,” Trbovich said. “It harmed people who survived.”
The contractors stressed that the memorial isn’t “just another job” for them.
“We live here — we were here when the event happened and like I mentioned earlier, we had friends that were lost at the event,” said Borrelli and Partners’ Design Principal Jorge Borrelli. “This is probably the most personal project we have ever dealt with in our careers. And probably the most important as well.”
The design came together with the help of the Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee, which gave input and feedback on what they hope the permanent memorial will represent.
“Honestly, I think they’ve done a really, really fair job with everything the committee has asked for,” Pulse Advisory Committee member Nancy Rosado said. “And I think right now, because we have not seen it physically, we’re kind of more or less imagining it.”
The plan, however, does not sit well with everyone.
“The 49 who were murdered deserve a respectful, dignified and peaceful memorial that their family’s control, not the city of Orlando,” said Christine Hanavan. “The pulse memorial shouldn’t be an over-designed, attention-grabbing tourist destination and vanity project.”
The 60% design update is expected to be submitted by May 8, and will include more technical changes as designers gear more toward construction and staying within the project timeline.
The Pulse sign is set to be removed on March 10, with the building removal and site clearing set to start on March 18.
Construction is set to begin in September of this year and is expected to be completed by September 2027.