Construction on the permanent Pulse memorial is scheduled to start on site Nov. 25

Work on the permanent Pulse memorial at the former nightclub site is scheduled to begin Nov. 25, later than the September start planners had expected. WUSF, carrying a Central Florida Public Media report, writes: "Work will begin at the site of the former nightclub on South Orange Avenue on Nov. 25 and wrap up by the end of next year." The city's own release does not give a day.

What changed

• The start moved later. The city's own release "Pulse Memorial Project Reaches 60% Design Milestone", last updated May 15, 2026, says: "With the 60% milestone achieved, the project is now moving toward the next phase of development, with construction anticipated to begin in September 2026 and completion anticipated for late 2027." Supporting news reports: WUSF reports that project planners had said "they expected to begin work in September" (part of a longer sentence). Spectrum News 13 reported on Oct. 12, 2026: "The city pushed the groundbreaking from September to the end of the year."
• The scheduled start. WUSF: "According to the schedule attached to Monday's meeting agenda, construction work on site will begin on Nov. 25, starting with site grading and a tree removal."
• The contract. The Orlando City Council voted on Monday, October 12, on the construction contract with Gomez Construction, as the city's release had announced. Orlando Weekly reports that the council "unanimously approved a $12.6 million design and construction contract" (part of a longer sentence). The city's release gives a guaranteed maximum price of $12,624,837. WUSF and Orlando Weekly say $12.6 million, which matches the city's figure when rounded; that matching is this post's own reading, because neither outlet says it is rounding the guaranteed maximum price. Spectrum News 13 gives no contract price (see the section below on where the sources differ).

When

• Council vote: Monday, October 12 (city release; Spectrum News 13, Oct. 12, 2026).
• Start of on-site work: scheduled for Nov. 25, per one outlet citing the schedule attached to the council's meeting agenda. WUSF's story of October 13, 2026 gives the day without a year. This post reads it as November 2026, because that is the next Nov. 25 after the story and the story puts the finish at the end of next year. That reading is this post's own.
• Completion: every source that gives a finish date puts it at the end of 2027. WUSF's words are "the end of next year", which is 2027 because its story is dated October 2026. The city: "Construction is expected to begin this fall with completion of the Pulse Memorial expected by the end of 2027."

Where the sources differ

• Only one outlet gives Nov. 25. WUSF gives the day and says it comes from the schedule attached to the council's agenda. This post did not read that agenda.
• The city gives a season, not a day. Its release, last updated October 06, 2026, says construction is expected to begin this fall. Orlando Weekly reports the same from the mayor: "Construction is expected to begin on the $12.6 million memorial this fall, Dyer confirmed Monday, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2027."
• An earlier start was reported on the morning of the vote, a day before WUSF's report. Central Florida Public Media, in a story carried by WLRN on October 12, 2026, wrote: "If the city council approves the construction agreement, Gomez Construction would begin work on the memorial at the site of the former nightclub on South Orange Avenue this month, completing work by the end of next year." ("This month" was October 2026.)
• Permits were still pending. Spectrum News 13 reported on Oct. 12, 2026: "The city still needs final permits before construction can begin. Officials have not released an exact start date."
• The price. The city's release gives a guaranteed maximum price of $12,624,837, and WUSF and Orlando Weekly say $12.6 million. That matches the city's figure when rounded; that matching is this post's own reading. Spectrum News 13 says: "Allocations for the memorial total $12 million, including funding from the recent donors, the city of Orlando, the county and the state." That is a funding total, not the contract price. This post goes by the city's figure.
• What this post goes by. It uses Nov. 25 because that is the only specific day any source gives, and WUSF gives "the schedule attached to Monday's meeting agenda" as its source. Because no city page read for this post prints that day, the post calls it scheduled, per one outlet. On the city's 2026 press-release list, the newest item was dated October 28, 2026, and the newest Pulse item was the October 06, 2026 release. Neither gives a start day.

What it means if you live here

• Near the site. Neighbours and drivers on South Orange Avenue near the former nightclub can expect site grading and tree removal to start first. None of the sources read for this post reports a road closure.
• For survivors, families and visitors. Building the memorial on the site is expected to take until the end of 2027.