Orlando presents 60% Pulse Memorial design, aims for construction to begin in September

Orlando officials on June 8 unveiled a 60% design for the Pulse Memorial, said staff have contacted every next of kin for the 49 victims and laid out a permitting and construction timeline.

Heather, the city staff lead on the memorial project, said the city had made contact “with all 49 next of kin to be able to confirm how they each want their angels' names spelled and if they have a preferred nickname,” and that more than half of families have supplied preferred photographs for the site and this week’s remembrance events. City staff purchased the site in October 2023 and formed an 18‑member advisory committee in 2024 to guide design decisions, Heather said.

Architect Jorge Borrelli and senior project manager Dan Turbovich of the design team presented the memorial’s major elements: a memorial plaza that traces the nightclub footprint with rainbow banding, an Angel Ellipse that presents each of the 49 individually with nameplates and flags, a private family gathering area with capsules for personal effects, a visitor pavilion with a linear, text‑only timeline exhibit and a reflecting pool with bilingual quotes.

“Much of the community was gathered within that specific area,” Borrelli said, explaining the design intention to balance remembrance and healing. Turbovich described the treatment of salvaged material: portions of the dance‑floor concrete and parts of the SWAT breach wall will be retained and interred or incorporated into the site rather than displayed as stark artifacts, a choice intended to reduce re‑traumatization for survivors.

Staff said the site has been cleared and the building removed, that the 60% design schedule has been met, and that the team aims to submit permits in mid‑July and to commence construction in September, with an anticipated completion in the third quarter of 2027. Heather said the outdoor memorial grounds are expected to remain accessible 24 hours, while the visitor pavilion will have staffed hours (staff suggested something like 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

Commissioners praised the trauma‑informed approach and raised operational questions. Commissioner Sheehan thanked staff for sensitivity and asked whether the family portraits for an art exhibit were complete; staff replied that some families intentionally left portraits unfinished and those would be displayed as‑is. Commissioner Burns asked who will manage ongoing operations, whether family spaces could be used for private gatherings and what security measures would be in place; staff said operational details (including low‑maintenance choices, minimal staffing models and CPTED guidance from OPD) are still being finalized.

The city reiterated that family members have been deeply involved in decisions about artifacts and interpretation. This week’s remembrance programming includes a rainbow run with about 2,000 participants, an art exhibit of family portraits in the City Hall gallery, a candlelight reading of names and a remembrance ceremony Friday at 5:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church.

Next steps: staff will continue to finalize operational agreements and permitting details and return to council as required; permits are expected to be submitted in mid‑July and construction to begin in September 2026 with a projected finish in Q3 2027.