ORLANDO, Fla – As the city approaches a decade since the tragic events at the Pulse nightclub, Orlando is advancing its plans to establish a permanent memorial at the site.

On Monday, the Orlando City Council took a significant step by approving a restrictive covenant agreement linked to a state grant nearing $400,000, designated for the memorial’s development. This agreement imposes restrictions on the land’s use, ensuring that for five years, the city cannot sell, transfer, mortgage, or assign the property without the state’s consent. Should these conditions be breached, the grant would need to be repaid.

[PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Winter Park construction company leads bid to build Orlando Pulse memorial]

The Pulse nightclub site is a poignant reminder of the June 12, 2016, mass shooting that claimed the lives of 49 individuals and left many others injured at the LGBTQ venue.

“It’s time,” expressed Jorshua Hernandez Carrion, a survivor of the shooting. “This year marks ten years, and we still lack a memorial.”

For many survivors and families of victims, the council’s approval represents long-awaited progress after years of delays.

[PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Final designs due for permanent Pulse memorial]

Laly Santiago-Leon, whose cousin Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon was killed in the attack, said seeing the process move forward brings a sense of healing.

“It’s a form of patience. It’s been very difficult,” Santiago-Leon said. “But I’m happy to see it. In my heart, it’s a form of healing.”

Not everyone agrees with the city’s vision for the memorial. Christine Leinonen, who lost her son Drew in the shooting, has voiced strong opposition to the current plans.

“They are not memorializing the reality of the trauma,” Leinonen said. “They are trying to whitewash it, pretty it up, to make something horrific into something touristy.”

Last month, artifacts were removed from the Pulse building as preparations began for most of the structure to be torn down. Design concepts for the memorial include an area of reflection, a healing garden, and other contemplative spaces. The total projected cost of the memorial is estimated to be nearly $12 million.

[PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Artifacts removed from Pulse site for preservation as building nears demolition date]

Hernandez Carrion, who now lives in Puerto Rico, says he doesn’t want the memorial to turn into a monument with a visitors center where people will have to pay to visit certain things on the site. He believes completing the memorial should about honoring every life lost and finding closure.

“I want to have the memorial. I want to finish this chapter of my life,” he said. “I don’t want to be in 20 years talking about the same thing. We need this, and the City of Orlando has to make it right.”

Construction on the Pulse memorial is slated to begin this fall, with a goal of completion in 2027.