The City of Orlando will be moving forward with its proposed purchase of the Pulse Nightclub property.
City Council voted to approve the purchase during the Monday, October 23 council meeting, with only Commissioner Jim Gray pausing to question whether or not the city was overpaying for the property.
“For us to suggest that that property is worth $1.9 million is misleading. Seven years ago when we looked at this site, our own appraiser said the property was worth $700,000. So where’s the balance? People are trying to give value to the improvements, and I would suggest to you that the improvements, those that are still there, the owners have already been paid for their improvements through insurance. If they haven’t, it’s their own fault they didn’t have insurance. But we are buying land, don’t make any mistake about it. And I would also suggest that the value of that land, since the event, is probably less-more, because of the tragic event and the stigma associated with that … we’re paying at least two-to-three times the value of that property.”
– COMMISSIONER JIM GRAY
Commissioner Gray went on to say that the only future of the property was to be made into a memorial and that the only fair way to do that would be to exercise eminent domain, which he believed met the criteria since it would be for the public benefit/use.
Mayor Dyer clapped back saying that though he didn’t want to buy the property he still viewed it as a necessity.
“I don’t really want to spend $2 million, I would rather see the property donated to OnePulse, but that’s not where we are. I am looking at this as an elevation of what is best for the families of the victims, the survivors, and our community as a whole.”
– MAYOR JOHN DYER
The City of Orlando tried to purchase the property immediately following the shootings seven years ago for $2.25 million before the Pomas, and Daytona-based Michael Panaggio, decided to keep the property at the last minute – choosing to launch their own non-profit and build their own memorial instead.
OnePulse Foundation officially walked away from the memorial site in July 2023 following a public divorce from its founder and Pulse Nightclub co-owner, Barbara Poma. The separation was allegedly largely due to a disagreement between the Pomas and OnePulse, centered on whether the land should be donated or that they should have to pay for it out-of-pocket, according to sources at the organization.
City Hall will now begin a process to fundraise and offset the $2 million cost of the property purchase with private donations and planning a new public memorial for the site.
