The owner of the Pulse nightclub, the site of the deadly mass shooting that took the lives of 49 people and injured 53 others, wants to keep the club to become a “sanctuary of hope.”

The city of Orlando planned to purchase the club for $2.25 million, $600,000 more than the appraised price. The city planned to "create something to honor the memory of the victims that are deceased [and] those that were injured, and a testament to the resilience of our community," Mayor Buddy Dyer told the Orlando Sentinel at the time.

However, Pulse nightclub owner Barbara Poma was not ready to walk away.

“I feel a personal obligation to ensure that a permanent space at Pulse be created so that all generations to come will remember those affected by, and taken on, June 12,” she said in a statement.

In response, Orlando spokeswoman Cassandra Lafser claims city officials “are hopeful the Pulse site continues to be a place of hope and healing that honors the victims.”

Since the June 13 attack, mourners still visit the nightclub to pay respects.

The OneOrlando Fund has distributed over $27 million to Pulse victims and their families, and are set to distribute $2 million more.