“It hurts to see”: Pulse nightclub demolished nearly 10 years after tragedy

The building’s removal has brought forward a mix of emotions for survivors and the Orlando community, but city officials said the step is necessary to move toward a permanent memorial currently scheduled to open in late 2027.

Orlando Torres, a former promoter at the nightclub and a survivor of the shooting, watched the demolition from behind a perimeter fence.

Torres was trapped in a restroom for 3½ hours during the attack on June 12th, 2016, before being rescued by Special Weapons and Tactics teams.

“I kind of cringe when every time I hear the crackling and the sounds,” Torres said as the building was dismantled. “It hurts to see a place that so much years of memories with great shows, A lot of fun you know good times…but then you got to look at it the other side that it’s hopefully progression .”

Torres told Channel 9 after a long journey, he is finally hopeful he’ll soon see the permanent memorial.

“I want to see it before my time expires. Ten years going on 11, I want to see it done here. The day I expire, if I run into any of the 49 above, I can share through my vision how beautifully it was made, finally,” said Torres.

Melissa Weeks, who worked as a patient care technician on the night of the shooting, also visited the site to pay her respects.

She recalled driving to her shift at the hospital and seeing police officers with rifles before the facility received an influx of patients.

“One, it was hard to see it to begin with every day knowing what happened there, but knowing that it’s never gonna exist again,” Weeks said. “So I just wanna be able to pay my respects to people that did pass away.”

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Commissioner Patty Sheehan were among the crowd of onlookers watching the demolition progress.

Dyer noted that the community is experiencing a wide range of reactions to the removal of the physical structure. “I teared up yesterday I wasn’t expecting that,” Dyer said. “Today it seems more like not remembering the past it’s moving on to the future and actually creating the memorial. I think each individual is in a different place in their healing and recovery. I don’t think there’s one emotion that encapsulates everybody.”

The current design concept for the memorial is approximately 30% complete as of March 5. Early renderings of the project show a space surrounded by pillars that will display the names of the 49 victims. The site is also expected to feature a healing garden and a reflection pool.

Dyer stated that victims’ families emphasized the importance of established the permanent memorial on the actual site of the former nightclub.

A 60% design milestone update is scheduled for May. Construction on the permanent memorial is expected to begin in September, with the site set to open to the public in the fall of 2027.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.