Orlando mayor wants city to buy Pulse nightclub for memorial
Buddy Dyer does not want the existing structure of Pulse nightclub to be torn down
“At some point, I think the city needs to gain control, purchase the Pulse site, and then make some determination, with a lot of input, of what a permanent memorial might look like.”
–Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer in a radio interview with 90.7 WMFE, talking about the possibility of the city buying Pulse nightclub in order to create a permanent memorial at the site. While Pulse owner Barbara Poma had previously vowed that club would reopen, it may have to do so at another location, leaving the current site intact.
Dyer said that, while the planning process moves forward, he believes the building should not be torn down, the site should be surrounded by “adequate fencing,” and the city should keep the space where people have left flowers, candles and other mementos clean.
“I think we need to determine some period of time, we leave it exactly as is, with some adequate fencing, because there will be people in the next…year that want to travel here to see it as it exists, without making modifications to it,” Dyer said. “So there’s some time frame I think we need to keep it intact, as is, and, after that, transition to what the permanent memorial would be.”
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
