A construction worker lifted by an aerial platform to the top of the Pulse nightclub sign during the afternoon, a day before its removal. The sign was removed ahead of the nightclub’s demolition.
Juno Le
The City of Orlando removed the sign of the Pulse nightclub Wednesday, where a UCF student and alumnus were killed during a mass shooting in 2016.
UCF student Juan Ramon Guerrero and UCF alumnus Christopher Andrew Leinonen, both pictured in the mural outside the Student Union, were among the 49 people who lost their lives during the shooting. At the time, it was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, according to Pulse Orlando.
Over the past nine years, the site of Pulse — an LGBTQ+ nightclub — has become a place for the loved ones of the victims to leave artifacts such as pictures, flowers and signs.
The bottom panels of the sign, which were covered in signatures and handwritten messages, were removed on Tuesday. The top part of the sign, where the club’s name was written, was removed and securely stored Wednesday morning, according to the City of Orlando.
The two-day sign removal process comes ahead of the city’s plans to demolish the building on March 18. A memorial to preserve the space and honor those who were killed in the shooting is set to be built in its place. The project has “reached the 30 percent design benchmark,” according to the City of Orlando.
“The City of Orlando plans to work closely with survivors and family members through a Memorial Engagement Process to design a memorial that reflects their desire for a place of solemn reflection that honors and pays tribute to the 49 angels and serves as a place where the victims’ families, survivors, first responders and our community can go to honor, unite and remember this heartbreaking moment in our city’s and our nation’s history, while also serving as a reminder to the world that Orlando is and always will be an inclusive community where every person is welcomed,” a statement on Pulse Orlando’s memorial webpage reads.
During the month-long construction, in which a construction fence will line the property, there will be a small area where the community can leave perishable items, such as flowers.