Business and community members in Orlando's Downtown South district met Wednesday to talk about how to help their neighborhood recover from the Pulse nightclub shooting.

  • Community leaders working on rebranding the area as 'Sodo'
  • Pulse recovery effort foremost on business leaders' minds
  • Public memorial for Pulse victims discussed

"It's definitely on everybody minds," said Zachary Winters, one of the owners of The Delaney Hotel, which is yet to be built. "This was the first meeting that we had since the tragedy."

Winters is a member of the Downtown South Neighborhood Improvement District Advisory Council, which met inside Orlando City Hall on Wednesday. One of their most important agenda items: Pulse recovery efforts.

Community leaders agree that the June 12 tragedy changed the heart of their neighborhood and want their recovery efforts to reflect that. They're working on rebranding the Downtown South district, renaming that area "Sodo" to acknowledge they may be the same location but with a new spirit.

Members at the meeting also talked about the idea of a public memorial at Pulse. Supporters put forth that a park-style green space that could not only serve as a memorial but also a community gathering place along Orange Avenue.

However, Winters thinks no one will consider businesses "secondary victims," who are eligible for the One Orlando Fund, until they explain how much the Pulse shooting has hurt their livelihood.

"[Business owners] should take it upon themselves to actually step up and speak their mind and actually be truthful and honest about what's occurring and from there, we can see if we need to advocate for them," Winters said.