Pulse Nightclub property to be purchased by Orlando for permanent memorial

The city of Orlando, Florida, plans to buy the Pulse Nightclub site where 49 people were massacred seven years ago, with plans to create a permanent memorial for the victims.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer made the announcement Wednesday that involves city council taking up the proposal to purchase the property for $2 million next week.

“When the site becomes a permanent memorial, it will be a place for reflection and love,” Dyer posted, along with a link to his full statement. 

If approved by council on Monday, the sale would close by the end of the month, according to local news media outlets.

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City Commissioner Patty Sheehan told FOX 35 Orlando that no one on the council has been vocally opposed to the proposal.

“We are thankful to the City of Orlando for ensuring that the National Pulse Memorial will be located at the Pulse nightclub site, which was always the hope of families of the 49 victims and the Pulse-impacted community. We look forward to being a part of the discussion with the City of Orlando as this moves forward,” the onePulse Foundation, the nonprofit that had been leading efforts to build a memorial and museum, wrote on Facebook. 

The foundation terminated its lease and handed the interim memorial over to the property owners, Barbara and Rosario Poma and businessman Michael Panaggio, WESH 2 News reported in August. 

Barbara Poma was the executive director of the onePulse Foundation, but stepped down as executive director last year and left the organization entirely earlier this year, according to The Associated Press.

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The nonprofit also said earlier this year that it was scaling back from its plans for a large memorial with a $100 million price tag following fundraising challenges.

Omar Mateen opened fire in the nightclub on June 12, 2016, leaving 49 people dead and 53 wounded. At the time, it was the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. However, that number was surpassed the following year when 58 people were killed and more than 850 were injured among a crowd of 22,000 at a country music festival in Las Vegas.

Mateen was killed after a three-hour standoff with SWAT team members. He had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.