Orlando installs rainbow crosswalk near Pulse Nightclub, where 49 died

Thu. October 12, 2017 11:13 AM by OnTopMag.com

Orlando, FL - The city of Orlando has installed a rainbow-colored crosswalk near a gay nightclub where 49 people died and dozens were wounded when a lone gunman opened fire last year.

According to alternative weekly the Orlando Weekly, crews finished installing the crosswalk on Wednesday.

The crosswalk, located at West Esther Street and Orange Avenue, cost $2,900 to install. More than 2,700 people signed an online petition asking the city to install the crosswalk to honor the victims and survivors of last year's massacre.

Cassandra Lafser, a spokesperson for Mayor Buddy Dyer's office, said in a statement released Monday that the crosswalk's rainbow colors "honor the memory of the 49 lives lost and the lives of those that were forever changed on June 12, 2016."

"This will serve as a symbol of our compassion, love and unity in the Central Florida community," Lafser said.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, the city on Monday approved other upgrades to the shuttered nightclub, which serves as a temporary memorial. Designs shown by the onePULSE Foundation call for lighted benches, a new fence with murals and an expanded walking area for visitors to the club.

Mayor Dyer applauded the plans at a meeting on Monday.

"You guys have done a fantastic job on the temporary memorial site, making it much more accessible and using the space on the site that currently is not available for use," Dyer said. "It's going to be much more friendly, I think, to the public that are coming there."

Article provided in partnership with On Top Magazine

 

MORE CONTENT AFTER THESE SPONSORS