ORLANDO, Fla. – After several meetings, the Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee is moving forward with a potential design for the Pulse Nightclub site.
While the plans are not yet finalized, high-quality renderings of the proposed memorial were unveiled during a meeting on Thursday.
The design comes nearly eight and a half years after the Pulse nightclub massacre.
The renderings showcase an overall plan with a goal to honor the victims, provide a place for reflection, and includes features requested by families.
Nancy Rosado, a member of the advisory board said she agrees with the overall design.
“I’ve been in contact with the moms from Puerto Rico, particularly, and they’re not here. They talked about a water feature, plants, trees, and a place to reflect,” Rosado said. “I think this pretty much hits the nail on the head for most of them.”
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Key features of the design include a welcome center, 49 illuminated columns, reinforced glass reflecting multiple colors, a tribute wall, and a designated area for mourning, accessible to both the public and victims’ families.
Committee Chair Dr. Larry Schooler said it’s important everyone in the community has in-put in the design of the memorial.
“We started from a place of deciding what we wanted this memorial to achieve, and now we’re at a place of seeing what that actually could look like in reality,” Schooler said. “It’s a pretty remarkable moment for this community.”
The proposed design also features a water feature outlining the location of the dance floor, where many victims lost their lives.
Rosado said finalizing a design will help end a chapter of grieving for many.
“When you think about it, these families and these survivors have been in pain for more than eight years. So we’ve got to wrap this up now,” Rosado said.
The City of Orlando has allocated a $7.5 million budget for the memorial. Officials plan to post the renderings online early next week to gather public input. The committee expects to review the final design at its next meeting, which has yet to be scheduled.
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