Pulse property purchased for $2 million

Visitors pay tribute to the display outside the Pulse nightclub memorial Friday, June 11, 2021, in Orlando, Fla. Saturday will mark the fifth anniversary of the mass shooting at the site. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (John Raoux, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s official, the city of Orlando now owns the Pulse nightclub property.

The city closed the $2 million sale with the former owners on Friday. The city council approved the purchase earlier this week.

While there are no official plans yet, the site will be used for a permanent memorial to the victims of the 2016 shooting.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said the decision to buy the property on Orange Avenue was made after talking to families of the victims and supporters who were upset with the way the onePulse Foundation was handling memorial plans. Dyer said many of them told him they preferred the permanent memorial to stay on the Pulse site.

Several years ago, the city offered $2.2 million to Pulse owner Barbara Poma, however, she declined the sale and instead continued fundraising for her organization called the onePulse Foundation. In April, the foundation said she stepped down from her position.

[RELATED: Orlando continues to wait for permanent Pulse memorial. How long has it taken other communities?]

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings on Friday is meeting behind closed doors with the onePulse Foundation.

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Christie joined the ClickOrlando team in November 2021.