October 12, 2017 - 2:35 PM
ORLANDO, Fla. - A memorial for a gay nightclub in Florida where a gunman killed 49 people is getting some temporary improvements as a step toward a permanent national memorial and museum.
Pulse nightclub owner Barbara Poma presented plans earlier this week to Orlando's city council, which voted up the improvements.
The interim memorial will provide areas to leave messages. The club's sign will be enhanced, and a new fence will be placed around the perimeter of the nightclub itself, which will remain standing for the foreseeable future.
Poma says she hopes the permanent memorial will initiate urban renewal in the area. Temporary improvements should begin in December and take about two months.
Omar Mateen pledged allegiance to the Islamic State during a three-hour standoff at the nightclub before he was killed in a shootout with police officers in June 2016.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017