A national memorial remembering the 49 people killed during the Pulse shooting will no longer be located at the South Orange Avenue location of the nightclub.
The onePULSE foundation said that after months of negotiations, an agreement between the foundation and the owners of the property -- Barbara Poma, her husband Rosario Poma and their business partner Michael Panaggio -- could not be reached.
Poma was the owner of the Pulse Nightclub who after the shooting founded onePULSE. She stepped down from the foundation last month after a completed planned leadership transition that began in 2021.
Poma declined to comment on the negotiations.
The foundation had previously planned to build a permanent memorial at the site.
OnePulse said it will provide an update later this month on plans for the memorial at a new site, honoring the 49 people killed on June 12, 2016.
“This is sacred ground that should only be used to honor those who we have lost to gun violence,” said Democratic State House Representative Anna V. Eskamani. "I urge those involved in these discussions to right this wrong and ensure that the Pulse property is used for a memorial.”
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