Orlando To Buy Pulse, Create Memorial

The city of Orlando, Florida, has announced plans to purchase the Pulse nightclub and eventually convert the site of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history into a memorial.

Photo: Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel via AP

A mother and child pay respects as visitors continue to flock to the roadside memorial at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., June 29. Forty-nine people were shot and killed after a gunman entered the nightclub June 12.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer told the Orlando Sentinel Monday that the city has reached a deal to buy the gay nightclub for $2.25 million. Dyer says the site should probably remain as-is for the next 12 to 18 months, as it has become a gathering place for mourners. He says the city will reach out to the community for advice on how plans for the memorial should proceed.

The city’s ultimate goal, Dyer told the newspaper, will be to “create something to honor the memory of the victims that are deceased [and] those that were injured, and a testament to the resilience of our community.” He added that the city hasn’t ruled out leaving part of the club intact — such as the roadside sign with its logo. The club has been empty since the massacre, Dyer told the newspaper. The purchase price is $600,000 more than its appraised value.

The June 12 attack left 49 people dead and 53 wounded. Gunman Omar Mateen was killed by SWAT team members.