Orlando city leaders have given the green light to buy the Pulse Nightclub property for $2 million.
The purchase is intended to guarantee the construction of a permanent memorial at the site of the 2016 mass shooting, replacing the existing temporary memorial.
Former state representative of East Orlando, Carlos Guillermo Smith, said, “People were taken from this community, mostly LGBTQ and Latino people from our community.”
According to Guillermo Smith, Orlando City Commissioners approved the $2 million purchase of the Pulse Nightclub site, a decision that has been long awaited.
“Having that sacred ground be a space of quiet reflection of remembrance for those 49 Angels that were taken is something that is a top priority for those families and for those survivors as well as an entire community that’s been impacted by this tragedy,” said Guillermo Smith.
Guillermo Smith stressed that public ownership secures control and prevents disrespectful development on the site where 49 lives were lost on June 12, 2016.
He said, “The best way to ensure that the voices of the families and the survivors are taken into account is that there is a process for building the memorial that is transparent and accountable to these families and survivors, and the city of Orlando is best equipped to do that, not private owners.”
The deal is expected to be finalized by Friday, but the timeline of the construction is unclear.
