ORLANDO, Fla. — In just under a day, Orlando city leaders are set to vote on whether or not they will purchase the Pulse nightclub property.
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Mayor Buddy Dyer said the city had to step in if the memorial would be built at the site.
“We feel it’s important to honor the victims,” said Mayor Dyer. “And to put to rest the idea that a memorial either would not be built or it would be built in a different location.”
“It’s not easy; it does not get better. We just have to push through,” said Pulse survivor Marissa Delgado.
Read: City of Orlando to buy Pulse nightclub site for future memorial
Delgado is one of many with mixed feelings after the city announced it would pay the owners for the site, who had sat on the land for years.
Dyer said there’s still a lot to be figured out about the site, including the city’s role in building the memorial or whether the OnePulse Foundation would be involved. The nonprofit struggled to organize itself for years while its leaders, including one of the nightclub’s owners, drew six-figure salaries.
Read: Pulse survivors question city’s decision to buy nightclub property
Mayor Dyer also said they have yet to decide whether they will tear down the property. Delgado is hopeful they do, calling the site a painful reminder of what they all went through.
“If you want, build something else, but don’t leave that up there,” said Delgado.
If the city approves the sale, that deal will close on Friday. The decision will happen at Monday’s city council meeting, which starts at 2 p.m.
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