The city of Orlando officially issued a proposal request Monday to find a design-build firm for the construction of a Pulse memorial.
It has been nearly nine years since one of the worst tragedies in Florida’s history, when countless lives and the entire Orlando community were changed forever on an early morning in June 2016.
The Pulse shooting remains among the deadliest mass shootings in the U.S. and was the worst in the state, resulting in the deaths of 49 people and injuring 58 others attending Latin Night at Pulse Nightclub, an LGBTQ+ club located just south of downtown Orlando.
The city purchased the nightclub site in 2023 with a commitment to build a permanent memorial to honor the victims and survivors. The Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee was then established in June 2024, made up of representatives of victims’ families, survivors, and others affected in the Orlando community.
The city stated that firms interested in assisting with the creation of the memorial are to submit proposals by the deadline of 2 p.m. May 29. The selected contractor will transform the conceptual design into detailed plans and be responsible for site construction.
The selection process is slated to be wrapped up in the summer of 2025, following the proposal submissions, with the contract presented to the City Council for approval. Construction of the memorial is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027.
The official request for proposals follows the release of the final conceptual design last month by the advisory committee. The memorial plan, based on the original Pulse building, includes a reflection space, survivor’s tribute wall, a canopy with columns dedicated to each of the 49 victims, a healing garden, a visitor pavilion and more.
The release of the conceptual design and the bid request are both important steps in the creation of the long-awaited permanent memorial for the Orlando community.
To learn more about the initiative, visit PulseOrlando.org.
