The shooting at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub, just south of downtown early in the morning of June 12, 2016, marked a tragic day in the city’s history. But efforts to establish a permanent memorial marking the massacre at the LGBTQ+ club have suffered serious delays, largely due to the failure of the nonprofit OnePulse Foundation formed in the months following the event. When the nonprofit dissolved at the end of 2023, the city of Orlando bought the former nightclub property and decided to take on the mission of building a permanent memorial on its own. The city has committed $7.5 million to the project, while the estimated price of the city’s design concept is estimated at closer to $12 million. Dyer’s chief of staff shared in a February meeting that the city was “having early conversations with other public and private partners for additional funding considerations.” According to a memo sent Monday from Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, that includes Orange County officials. “As the County has played a pivotal role in the response to the Pulse tragedy … we humbly request your continued financial support of $5 million toward the design and construction of the Pulse Memorial,” Dyer wrote in a memo to Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings Monday, obtained by Orlando Weekly .
“Since the tragedy, the city and county have continuously partnered to support the victims’ families and survivors and helped build community resilience. We hope that the County will continue that spirit of partnership as we as we [sic] work to realize an overdue memorial that properly honors the 49.” A spokesperson for Orange County told Orlando Weekly that Demings is “supportive” of the request, but that any final decision on the request would need to be approved by the Orange County board of commissioners during annual budget talks this summer. According to the Orlando Sentinel , some commissioners have reservations about the idea. “I think the county, our whole community, wants to contribute to recognizing and memorializing the loss, making sure that this never happens again,” County commissioner Kelly Semrad told the Sentinel . “But I think there are a lot of reservations in terms of what happened to the original amount of money that came into the [OnePulse] foundation and where did it go, and making sure that we’re accountable, transparent, and that future investment goes where it needs to.”
County commissioner Mayra Uribe, whose district includes the Pulse property, similarly expressed hesitation, citing ongoing unknowns about the funding that OnePulse received for a memorial ahead of its dissolution.
Orange County last year sold the property intended for a controversial Pulse museum project that OnePulse had pitched. After the nonprofit's dissolution, the county got stuck with the foundation's property tax bill — rendering the county's relationship to the nonprofit a sore one. The OnePulse Foundation, founded shortly after the shooting by former club owner Barbara Poma, raised millions of dollars in public and private donations over the years for a permanent memorial and museum concept that never materialized.
The group dissolved itself in disgrace on Dec. 31, 2023 after years of mismanagement and the eventual departure of Poma from the organization. Poma was criticized for paying herself a six-figure salary as OnePulse’s executive director, and was sued by victims’ family members and survivors for allegedly failing to maintain adequate security at the club. A group of survivors, family members, and community allies have called for a third-party investigation into the Pomas. Some have expressed cynicism surrounding the city’s process for developing a memorial since OnePulse dissolved, and have accused city officials of being complicit in the nonprofit's failings. A memorial is expected to be completed by the second half of 2027 at the site of the former nightclub, where an interim memorial has sat for years. The city earlier this month began its search for a contractor to design and build their concept, which was developed with feedback from an advisory committee of survivors, victims’ family members, and other community stakeholders.
Osceola County, just south of Orange, announced plans to develop their own tribute to Pulse survivors last year, and plans to break ground this summer.
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“Since the tragedy, the city and county have continuously partnered to support the victims’ families and survivors and helped build community resilience. We hope that the County will continue that spirit of partnership as we as we [sic] work to realize an overdue memorial that properly honors the 49.” A spokesperson for Orange County told Orlando Weekly that Demings is “supportive” of the request, but that any final decision on the request would need to be approved by the Orange County board of commissioners during annual budget talks this summer. According to the Orlando Sentinel , some commissioners have reservations about the idea. “I think the county, our whole community, wants to contribute to recognizing and memorializing the loss, making sure that this never happens again,” County commissioner Kelly Semrad told the Sentinel . “But I think there are a lot of reservations in terms of what happened to the original amount of money that came into the [OnePulse] foundation and where did it go, and making sure that we’re accountable, transparent, and that future investment goes where it needs to.”
County commissioner Mayra Uribe, whose district includes the Pulse property, similarly expressed hesitation, citing ongoing unknowns about the funding that OnePulse received for a memorial ahead of its dissolution.
Orange County last year sold the property intended for a controversial Pulse museum project that OnePulse had pitched. After the nonprofit's dissolution, the county got stuck with the foundation's property tax bill — rendering the county's relationship to the nonprofit a sore one. The OnePulse Foundation, founded shortly after the shooting by former club owner Barbara Poma, raised millions of dollars in public and private donations over the years for a permanent memorial and museum concept that never materialized.
The group dissolved itself in disgrace on Dec. 31, 2023 after years of mismanagement and the eventual departure of Poma from the organization. Poma was criticized for paying herself a six-figure salary as OnePulse’s executive director, and was sued by victims’ family members and survivors for allegedly failing to maintain adequate security at the club. A group of survivors, family members, and community allies have called for a third-party investigation into the Pomas. Some have expressed cynicism surrounding the city’s process for developing a memorial since OnePulse dissolved, and have accused city officials of being complicit in the nonprofit's failings. A memorial is expected to be completed by the second half of 2027 at the site of the former nightclub, where an interim memorial has sat for years. The city earlier this month began its search for a contractor to design and build their concept, which was developed with feedback from an advisory committee of survivors, victims’ family members, and other community stakeholders.
Osceola County, just south of Orange, announced plans to develop their own tribute to Pulse survivors last year, and plans to break ground this summer.
