Business News Live Business

Pulse nightclub now won’t be sold to city of Orlando

By | Published on Tuesday 6 December 2016

Pulse Orlando

The owner of the Orlando nightclub where 49 people were killed in a mass shooting earlier this year has said she now won’t sell the property to the city.

As previously reported, Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer last month announced that the city would pay $2.25 million to take control of the Pulse nightclub. He said that the city intended to make what has already become an unofficial memorial safer, reducing the impact on neighbouring businesses, while considering plans for a more formal permanent memorial on the site.

But current owner Barbara Poma has now said she’s changed her mind about selling the venue, which was part of the Florida city’s LGBT scene. According to CNN, Poma said yesterday that she had been struggling with the decision to sell since before Thanksgiving and that “the struggle was with letting it go and it’s something I couldn’t come to grips with. You couldn’t put a price on it for me”.

Speaking at a press conference, she added that: “I intend to create a space for everyone, a sanctuary of hope, and a welcoming area to remember all those affected by the tragedy”. The local community, city officials and victims of the shooting would all be consulted about what that might be, Poma added. “I think it’s hard for us to say what the future is going to be. We’ve built businesses but we’ve never built a memorial”.

Dyer said he respected Poma’s decision, adding in a statement that: “We believe it is important for the community to have input into a memorial that honours the victims and pays tribute to the resiliency of Orlando. City staff will continue to research and understand how other communities have approached the memorial process. As we better understand that process, and after engaging with our commissioners and community partners, we’ll update the community on the next steps”.



READ MORE ABOUT: