ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando city commissioners approved an amended construction contract with Gomez Construction on Monday for the permanent Pulse memorial, moving the long-awaited project closer to breaking ground.
The city still needs final permits before construction can begin. Officials have not released an exact start date.
The contract change passed with little discussion as part of the commission’s consent agenda.
Orlando District 4 Commissioner Patty Sheehan said the amendment was needed because several major donors made contributions to the project.
“All of these large benefactors in our community wanted to make additional contributions to the Pulse memorial,” Sheehan said. “So we have to amend the construction contract to show that this money is going to be used for that.”
Allocations for the memorial total $12 million, including funding from the recent donors, the city of Orlando, the county and the state.
It has been more than 10 years since the attack on the Pulse nightclub that killed 49 people and injured dozens of others.
The city took over the memorial plans two years ago, and construction is expected to take at least another year.
Pulse survivor Orlando Torres, one of the last people saved from the nightclub following the shootings, said the approval brings hope after years of waiting for a permanent place to pay respects.
“I’m open to anything as long as it’s there,” Torres said. “We’re tired of showing our respect outside the gate.”
Torres said he wants the city to take the time needed to complete the project properly.
We don’t want to see this falling apart or being rushed,” Torres said. “We want it to be done tastefully and respectfully and it be something that is going to last throughout hundreds of years in the future.”
The city pushed the groundbreaking from September to the end of the year.
Officials said they still expect the memorial to be finished by the end of 2027.