The Pulse Nightclub building in Orlando will be demolished Wednesday morning, nearly a decade after 49 people were killed in the mass shooting that shook the city and nation. Demolition is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and finish by noon, with debris removal taking several days. The cleared land will become the site of a permanent memorial estimated to cost $12 million.
Cesar Rodriguez, a Pulse survivor who was trapped inside during the shooting, said the demolition brings mixed emotions but represents necessary progress. “In my case, for me it’s something I’ve been wishing a lot, too. That building to disappear,” Rodriguez said. “Because for us, the people that were trapped in there, it’s something we want to erase, and we don’t want to remember. We don’t want to see anymore. We need to see something better. Something that help us, help people to forget everything.” Rodriguez served on the committee to help design the future memorial.
Orlando Torres, another survivor who spent three and a half hours in the restroom waiting for the SWAT team to rescue him, said the demolition represents long-overdue progress. “We felt like we were sentenced for 10 years of agony, disappointments and delays,” Torres said. The iconic Pulse sign was removed last week as part of the preparation for demolition, with heavy equipment including bulldozers positioned outside the building.
The City of Orlando purchased the nightclub property for $2 million in October 2023 after the onePULSE Foundation failed to construct a lasting memorial. Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan, who worked closely with the 49 families who lost loved ones, said the foundation’s failures caused additional pain. “I keep telling people if, unfortunately, it’s not against the law to run a not-for-profit into the ground,” Sheehan said. “I think there should be more rules and regulations, absolutely, but that’s just kind of where we’re at, and I think it’s important to move forward.”
City crews began removing items from the building in late December to preserve artifacts including the bar top, posters and two chandeliers. Transportation crews are expected to arrive at 3 a.m., with construction crews following at 7 a.m. Most of the structure is expected to be taken down by midday, though the full cleanup process could take several months.
The permanent memorial design includes a reflection pool, survivors’ common, 49 rainbow-colored tribute columns, and a section of the original nightclub dance floor. New renderings show plans for a water wall, fountain, seating area and the names of all 49 victims. “It was a place to look forward to enjoyment and dancing,” Torres said. “That’s all they did, was to come out and dance, not to hurt anybody and get shot.”
For many community members, the building has served as a connection to those lost in the tragedy. Lillian Shea, who was 13 years old at the time of the shooting, visited the site one final time before demolition. “I just never thought I’d be around to see it leave,” Shea said. “It’s kind of very sad. I remember when it first happened - I was in school and woke up to it, and I was pretty heartbroken.” Michael Johnson said passing by the site continues to bring back painful memories. “It just reminds you of the terrible tragedy,” Johnson said. “Every time you see it, it brings back the memories of those people that died.”
Despite the emotional significance of the demolition, some survivors express frustration with the lack of justice in the case. Rodriguez said many families and survivors feel betrayed and angry. “You want to feel a big relief, and many, many of the families, they don’t feel like that,” Rodriguez said. “They feel betrayed. They feel… angry. And for us, for the survivors, we feel like trash because we never going to forget everything we have in our minds, and mostly because the justice is not is not happening.”
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said construction of the new memorial could begin as early as September, with completion planned for fall 2027.