The City of Orlando announced this week that work on the demolition of Pulse Nightclub will begin next month. The project will make way for a permanent memorial to the 49 people who were killed during a 2016 mass shooting at the LGBTQ+ venue.

According to local NBC affiliate WESH, construction fencing has already gone up around the site, which in the decade since the massacre has served as an ad-hoc shrine to those who died there when a gunman opened fire on June 12, 2016, during the club’s “Latin Night.”

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City officials say the club’s iconic sign will be removed and securely stored “on or near” March 10, with demolition of the building itself set to begin on March 18, WESH reports.

In December, the station reported that the city had begun removing “artifacts” from the building — including chandeliers, an ornamental mirror, posters, and other interior items and décor — that have been stored in “an environmentally controlled warehouse.”

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The city also removed for preservation parts of the temporary memorial that was constructed around the site, including benches, remembrances left by the public, and a portion of the existing memorial fence.  

“While we have not finalized if these artifacts will be a part of the permanent memorial, we want to ensure their preservation during the design and construction phase,” a December press release from the city said.

A representative for the city told WESH this week that the Pulse Memorial Advisory Committee will share a presentation featuring new renderings of the permanent memorial’s design at a March 5 public meeting. Information on how to attend the meeting remotely will reportedly be posted on Pulse Orlando website.

As ClickOrlando and WFTV 9 note, the temporary memorial is now closed to the public due to the demolition work. But a small area remains open for visitors to leave flowers and to reflect on the tragedy.

According to WESH, an estimated timeline from the city indicates that construction on the permanent memorial will begin in early fall 2026 and is projected to be completed by late 2027.

In June, the city will mark the 10th anniversary of the mass shooting with its annual Pulse Remembrance Ceremony at the First United Methodist Church in Downtown Orlando.

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