$2.25 million.
That’s how much the city of Orlando offered Pulse nightclub owner Barbara Poma for the 4,500 square-foot building that was the site of the most deadly shooting in United States history.
“This decision truly came just from my heart and my passion for Pulse, and everything it’s meant to me and my family for the last 12 years since its inception,” Poma told the Orlando Sentinel. “So I think the struggle was you know, letting it go, and it’s just something I could not come to grips with.”
Previously there had been debate amongst the Orlando City Council about the amount of money offered for the property. The property had been appraised for only $1.65 million before the killings, but in the discussion it was noted that the city has paid above appraisal price before.
Pulse nightclub was opened in 2004 and was one of the most popular gay bars in Orlando. The nightclub was named in honor of Poma’s brother, John, who died of AIDS in 1991.
The city had hoped to erect a memorial for the fallen victims of the June 12 shooting if it had acquired the property, but now the future of the club remains unclear.
