disney said Wednesday that “affordable and accessible housing” around Walt Disney Worldwhich it first announced a year ago, will be ready to open in 2026. “This type of land contribution is unique and is one of the many ways we are having a lasting impact in Floridaaccording to a post on the Disney Parks Blog. This comes two days after the Florida government. Ron DeSantis included a lack of affordable housing on his list of reasons to slam the House of Mouse.
The governor even threatened to consider construction of a new state prison near WDW in an ongoing dispute over who has operational control over thousands of acres in South Florida – Disney or the state.
Disney said: “We are making more and more progress on this initiative every day, and now we are delighted to share that the grand opening of this development is scheduled for next year, with the first units expected to be completed in 2026. .” He expanded the project from 100 units to around 1,400.
“Being able to offer more units means even more Florida families will have access to affordable housing, in addition to creating new jobs in Florida through construction and operations.” He said the property is several miles from Magic Kingdom, close to schools and shopping. The development will be privately funded and limited to applicants within a certain income range.
WDW President Jeff Vahle met earlier this week with developer The Michaels Organization “and we discussed how we hope this development will inspire others in the community and across the country to support this important problem in an innovative way”. Disney also noted that it recently joined the Central Florida Coalition for the Homeless in opening a newly renovated youth center that included a $100,000 Disney grant. He also said Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort have donated more than $300,000 to local community food banks.
The governor has been fired for retaliating against Disney after the conglom last year spoke out against a new state law dubbed ‘Don’t Say Gay’ that prohibits discussing sexual orientation or of gender identity in public schools up to third grade. Lawmakers overturned Disney’s longstanding autonomy over what was called the Reedy’s Creek Improvement District, but appears to have been foiled by a development agreement with the state by the former Disney-appointed Reedy Creek Board of Directors. DeSantis pledges to rescind this deal and assert control of the company, taking an aggressive stance against the state’s biggest taxpayer and one of its biggest employers.
“We’ve always respected and appreciated what the state has done for us, but it’s sort of a two-way street,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said recently.
DeSantis’ new hand-picked board of directors of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District met earlier in the day and discussed how it might proceed. The board will argue that the procedural flaws related to the public notice nullify the agreement that granted Disney exclusive development rights, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The deal was done publicly and in the open, as Disney said. But a board attorney said today that state law requires advance notice to be sent to all affected owners, which has not happened.
“The bottom line is that Disney indulged in a Scrooge McDuck-like caper in an attempt to evade Florida law,” David H. Thompson, an attorney with the law firm Cooper & Kirk, said, according to the Sentinel.
A Disney representative was not immediately available for comment.
The battle in Florida continues as Disney employees are bracing for company-wide layoffs next week.