The Demolition of PULSE: Destroyed Evidence, Hidden Records, and a City That Uses PR to Escape Accountability
- Pulse Families and Survivors for Justice
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
The PULSE Nightclub has now been demolished.
For those of us who have been vocal about the importance of that building, this moment carries real consequences — not just emotionally, but legally and historically. For years, we have been documenting the unpermitted renovations and code violations that were still visible within the structure, work that was essential on multiple levels: to expose the City of Orlando's regulatory failures and cover-up, to put on record the PULSE owners' negligence and compliance failures, and above all, to serve justice.
That last point cannot be overstated.
The lawyers representing victims' families and survivors in an ongoing premises liability lawsuit against the PULSE owners — a lawsuit that, for reasons worth scrutinizing, has faded to the background and been largely ignored by local corporate media — sought an emergency injunction to stop the demolition (see file below). Their goal was straightforward: preserve physical evidence ahead of an upcoming jury trial. The judge, however, had issues with the process.
Notably, City Attorney Mayanne Downs reached out directly to the judge in that case — putting the City's finger on the scales of justice.
We would not have known about this communication had the judge not mentioned her email in his ruling. This is because Ms. Downs used her private email with her law firm DownsAaron, instead of her public City of Orlando email, despite this being official City business.
Back in 2019, when we discovered Ms. Downs was using her GrayRobinson email, concealing PULSE records, we asked her to stop using her private emails to conduct official City business for public transparency.
Her recent email to the bench shows that, years later, she has not complied with our request, and she continues to use her private law firm email address when conducting City business. This practice shields her communications from public oversight.
A Property With a Troubled Chain of Title
The premises liability lawsuit against the PULSE owners does not exist in a vacuum. This lawsuit alleges that the nightclub property's ownership is itself under question — that it was illegally transferred to two LLCs in the aftermath of the shooting to shield the asset from victims and survivors pursuing legal action.
The City of Orlando knew this. And it purchased the property anyway—ignoring the lawsuit and ignoring the fact that the property was transferred after the shooting to two LLCs owned by Barbara and Rosario Poma.
In purchasing the nightclub property, the City took control of both the real estate and the narrative. What has followed is exactly what that kind of institutional control looks like in practice: an onslaught of press releases, a carefully managed public relations drip campaign, and the deliberate use of PULSE to build Orlando's brand as a "resilient community" — a brand that purposely ignores the City's own failures, abuses, and lack of accountability.
The Promise of Transparency — And the Reality
The City of Orlando has promised transparency. That is not what we are getting.
We have formally requested that the City publish updated memorial budgets and itemized expense reports — so the public can see how much is being spent on memorial construction, track expenditures in real time, understand who is being paid and how much, and determine whether the project is on track to meet or exceed its $12 million budget.
Remember, this is taxpayer money that is funding this project. Not donations. The City has not been able to raise significant funds for its memorial project. City leaders overestimated their fundraising abilities, despite knowing the facts, making this conversation seem overwhelmingly performative:
Instead, to access this information, the public is required to navigate the City's Public Records department — a process known for its delays and associated fees. This is not transparency. Transparency means accessible, timely, proactive disclosure. Timeliness is not a courtesy; it is foundational to both accountability and trust. For the past ten years, the City of Orlando has not provided it.
We need the ability to track the City's PULSE memorial expenses in real time. Anything less is a failure of the public trust.
The Rainbow: Mockery Dressed as Spiritual Symbolism
When the City of Orlando released photos and video footage of the PULSE demolition to the media, it included imagery of construction crews using a hose to create a rainbow effect as water sprayed across the building being torn down.
To those outside the PULSE community, this may have seemed like a lighthearted or even poignant moment. It was neither.
The rainbow is not a prop. For the PULSE-affected community, the rainbow carries deep spiritual and symbolic weight. A natural rainbow appeared over PULSE and other remembrance events in the years since the shooting, carrying profound spiritual meaning — a sign, a presence, a moment of connection to those who were lost.
What the City staged — and it was staged, captured, and distributed to media — was a manufactured imitation of something sacred.
It reduced a symbol of spiritual significance to a marketing opportunity for the City as it demolished the PULSE building. This was not a tribute. It was a mockery. And the fact that it was packaged and sent to local media as a feel-good image in the midst of destroying a crime scene speaks to exactly the kind of institutional tone-deafness — or worse, calculated image management — that this community has endured for nearly a decade at the hands of the City of Orlando.
These Are Public Records. They Belong to You.
The City documented the demolition of PULSE for what it described as "archival purposes."
The City's video footage and photographs of the PULSE demolition were paid for by taxpayers. And yet, rather than releasing them to the public, the City has only sent them to the media for its own branding and marketing purposes — apparently reserving public viewing for future display at the proposed Visitor Pavilion, which the City intends to build for tourists at the planned memorial site.
Yes, publicly funded recordings of the destruction of a mass shooting site, withheld from the public so they can be curated and exhibited on the City's terms, for the City's memorial, to serve the City's narrative and future marketing purposes.
We are releasing these images and videos to the public for widespread use. These are public records. They belong to everyone. They are not the City's story to tell alone — and they are not to be locked away until Orlando is ready to present its preferred version of history to visitors.
You can download them here:
We deserve accountability, not a brand.
We deserve evidence, not erasure.
We deserve a city that serves us — not one that uses our tragedy to serve itself.
We will continue to report on the premises liability lawsuit, the memorial budget, and the City's PULSE memorial. If you have information to share, please reach out.
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