Orlando disposes relics from Pulse building, advancing memorial plans
On December 22, 2025, a crew removed 26 separate items from the former Pulse nightclub in Orlando, a site that was the location of a 2016 mass shooting that killed 49 people. The removal was described by city officials as a preparatory step toward the construction of a permanent memorial.
The artifacts taken included chandeliers, large posters, a cash register, the top of a bar, light fixtures, promotional flyers and a decorative frame that had been displayed inside the club. Items were sealed in specially designed boxes, loaded onto flat‑bed trucks, and transported to a climate‑controlled storage facility in Orlando where they will remain until the projected completion of the $12 million memorial in late 2027.
Officials said that larger components of the nightclub, such as the original flooring and the large Pulse sign overlooking Orange Avenue, will be removed next spring. The remainder of the building and site will then be cleared, with demolition and memorial construction slated to begin in about a year according to the city timeline.
The operation was overseen by City of Orlando Facilities Manager Navid Erfan, who noted the crew’s careful handling of the items. The city had informed survivors and family members by email the previous November about the removal. Three days of work went into building the wooden boxes and packing the artifacts with archival‑grade materials for secure transport.
The city purchased the Pulse site in late 2023. Gomez Construction Co. of Winter Park was hired to lead the memorial’s construction, while Borrelli + Partners Inc. is responsible for design. The original plan by the onePulse Foundation, which had aimed for a $100 million memorial and museum, was abandoned after funding concerns. The current preliminary design features a reflection pool on the former dance floor, an elliptical walk with 49 columns—one for each deceased—and a water wall that may display pairs of dancing shoes.