One by one, crew members slowly hauled out large wooden boxes filled with chandeliers, posters, a cash register, the top of a bar, and other items frozen in time from June 12, 2016.<\/p>\n
It was nearly all that remained inside the Pulse nightclub, where 49 people were killed during a mass shooting almost a decade ago.<\/p>\n
Orlando officials said Monday\u2019s artifact removal was an important step in finally building a permanent Pulse memorial, a goal long delayed by controversy and setbacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m also very proud of the team today,\u201d said Navid Erfan, Orlando\u2019s facilities division manager, who oversaw the removal. \u201cBecause they\u2019ve shown a lot of care and diligence in the process. It\u2019s obviously a very sensitive process for a number of people.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sealed, specially-built boxes were lifted onto flat-bed trucks behind the building and transported to a climate-controlled warehouse in Orlando, where the items will be stored until a permanent $12-million memorial is completed in late 2027.<\/p>\n
All together, about 26 items were removed from inside the building just south of downtown Orlando.<\/p>\n
![\"City](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/TOS-L-Pulse-emptied-10.jpg\")
City of Orlando Facilities Manager Navid Erfan following a news conference outside the Pulse Nightclub site on Monday, December 22, 2025, as a crew begins the removal of interior decorative items that still remain at the site. (Rich Pope\/ Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n
City officials had notified survivors and family members of the victims last November through emails about Monday\u2019s removal of the artifacts.<\/p>\n
Most of those watching the removal \u2014 which lasted about an hour \u2014 were television crews and journalists. A small group of about half dozen people stood nearby, with some wiping away tears. They refused to comment.<\/p>\n
Larger items \u2014 such as the flooring, which victims and family members had said holds a special significance for them \u2014 and the large Pulse sign overlooking Orange Avenue will be removed next spring, according to officials.<\/p>\n
Most of the site will then be cleared, including the nightclub building itself, and construction of the memorial is expected to start in about a year according to a city timeline.<\/p>\n
Other items removed on Monday were posters, promotional flyers, light fixtures and a large decorative frame that was hanging on a wall. Crews spent three days building the wooden boxes and loading the items into the boxes, Erfan said.<\/p>\n
The items were packed with \u201carchival grade\u201d packaging materials to securely transport them to an undisclosed location, he said.<\/p>\n
City officials said they have not yet decided whether all of the items will be part of the permanent Pulse memorial.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to ensure their preservation during the design and construction phase,\u201d said city spokeswoman Andrea Otero.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/TOS-L-Pulse-emptied-4.jpg\")
A crew begins the process of removing items from the Pulse Nightclub site on Monday, December 22, 2025, as the effort to demolish the site\u2014where the mass shooting occurred in June 2016\u2014begins, making way for a permanent memorial. Items being removed and stored include chandeliers, large posters, a cash register and other interior decorative items. (Rich Pope\/ Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n