This week, Disney’s affordable housing development project passed an important hurdle.
©Disney
Back in 2022, Disney announced plans to earmark about 80 acres of land for a new affordable housing development near the Disney World theme parks. We’ve been keeping an eye on updates as the planning process has continued, and this week, Disney narrowly won an important endorsement for the project.
On Thursday, Disney’s proposed affordable housing project won a narrow endorsement from Orange County’s planning and zoning board. The victory comes despite objections from its neighbors which dampened enthusiasm for the needed below-market homes.
©Disney
The advisory board voted 4-3 to recommend Orange County commissioners support a land-use change needed to build the 1,410-unit project on about 80 acres near State Road 429 and Hartzog Road. The vote in favor came despite concerns from residents in the nearby area about the project’s impact on roads, schools, and emergency services.
©Disney
In response, Disney promised to hold another community meeting to address any concerns before county commissioners decide whether to recommend the proposal next month. The proposal would then go to state authorities for a mandatory review. Disney’s developer for the project, The Michaels Organization, is also looking into reducing the number of units, as suggested by the planning board chairman, Nelson Pena.
©The Michaels Organization
In regard to the project, Disney representative Tajiana Ancora-Brown said, “The Michaels Organization will build, own and operate this development. Disney won’t profit from it. We plan to set a 75-year lease on the land to ensure affordable housing remains available to Orange County residents on this property for decades to come.”
Unlike a number of other affordable housing projects, Disney’s development is not government-subsidized, and the company is not seeking impact-fee waivers.
©Disney
According to current projected timelines, construction on the housing community could begin in October. The community is planned to open in phases, with the first units expected to open in 2026.
We’ll continue to be on the lookout for more developments as the planning stages continue.
DETAILS Shared About Disney’s Affordable Housing Development
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Define “Affordable”
It’s to Disney’s advantage to build affordable housing near DisneyWorld. They need castmembers for their parks and the available pool of workers is only going to get smaller with the opening of Epic Universe. Having affordable housing near the parks is a must if they want to retain workers.