Osceola County plans to build Pulse tribute for shooting victims’ loved ones

Osceola County plans to use unspent federal pandemic relief funds to build a tribute to the 49 victims of the 2016 mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando.

Local TV news station WESH 2 broke the news over the weekend, which was confirmed publicly by Osceola County Commission chair Cheryl Grieb on Monday.

A permanent memorial for Pulse victims, survivors, and their families in Orlando has been in the works for years, with an interim memorial set up at the former club site as a temporary stand-in. Eight years after the tragedy, however, no such permanent memorial exists for survivors and loved ones of those whose lives were stolen.

Grieb shared during a county commission meeting Tuesday that she had been approached by families of Pulse victims over the years about Osceola constructing its own memorial, pointing out that “many of the folks that were affected either lived here, worked here or had family here in Osceola County.”

Grieb confirmed that Osceola County plans to step up and build its own tribute to victims, but emphasized that it’s “not a memorial.”

“The memorial is for up in Orlando where the tragedy occurred,” she said. A news release from the county clarifies that the planned tribute is solely meant as a dedication to the victims, and will not make any references to the unfolding of events that occurred the night of the shooting.

The plan is to build a structure 49 feet tall in honor of those killed, most of whom were people of color and LGBTQ. Local artist Jefre has volunteered to come up with a design for the structure, Grieb said Tuesday, which will be constructed at Brownie Wise Park in Kissimmee.

Details for the design haven’t been shared yet. Grieb said the county will unveil their plans for the structure on June 12, 2024 — the eighth anniversary of the tragedy — at the Historic Courthouse in Kissimmee. In an Instagram post published Tuesday, Jefre said he is “very honored” to be involved.

A portion of unspent American Rescue Plan Act funds — $250,000 — has been allocated for the project, a county spokesperson confirmed. Grieb said the goal is for it to be in a tranquil, non-commercialized setting, where local family members of victims and loved ones can go to pay tribute. 

“For a lot of them, it’s difficult for them to go up to the building where this actually happened,” Grieb added. “I think it’s important that we have something here in Osceola.”

A permanent memorial for victims and survivors of the Pulse shooting was for years a project pursued by OnePulse, a nonprofit founded by former Pulse club owner Barbara Poma less than a month after the tragedy. Although the nonprofit passionately fundraised and obtained government grants for such a memorial as well as a controversial museum concept, the project was never fully realized, even after millions of dollars had already been spent on design services and property acquisition

The nonprofit dissolved in disgrace on Dec. 31, 2023, after informing the city of Orlando and Orange County that it would no longer be able to fulfill its original mission.

The city of Orlando, which has been scrutinized over the years by a group of survivors and allies over its dealings with OnePulse and Poma, plans to take up the project in the dissolved nonprofit’s stead. The city is currently seeking input from affected communities, and shared in April that the process for the memorial’s development will occur in several phases.

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