News Disney World Earmarks 80 Acres for Affordable Housing

Cmdr_Crimson

Cmdr_Crimson

Well-Known Member
Got to wonder how much a place will be and how many of them will all be Vloggers over taking it with their mouth agape photos for the counts on their YouTube channel..
0gL4oxd_d.webp
 
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DCBaker

Premium Member
Original Poster
New article from the Orlando Business Journal on a recent rezoning request for the land related to the Affordable Housing development.

"A rezoning request related to Walt Disney World's plans to build an affordable housing community has surfaced in Orange County, suggesting the project — scheduled to open in 2026 — is ramping up.

Walt Disney Imagineering, the think tank/creative of The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS), is the applicant for a June 13 request to rezone 114 acres to planned development to make way for the apartment community, which is expected to have about 1,400 housing units.

The move follows Disney's announcement in November that Camden, NJ-based The Michaels Organization will be the developer for the project on its behalf, as well as its April announcement of a construction timeline and increase from 1,300 units to 1,400.

A project cost has not been announced, but based on construction industry standards, the 1,400-unit community should represented an investment of at least $350 million.

A Disney spokesperson did not disclose any additional details to Orlando Business Journal. Laura Zaner, vice president of corporate communications and marketing for Michaels, said the developer did not have an update at this time.

However, an application for the rezoning request reveals some details, including that Disney and Michaels are seeking a maximum building height of five stories, or 65-feet, for the project to rise on land north of Flamingo Crossings, near the intersection of Avalon Road and Hartzog Road.

It also offers some details on who would qualify for the units, noting "100% of the constructed units will target incomes in the 50-100% AMI (area median income) range," which varies by the number of people in a household.

Finally, the application notes a development program with a maximum of 1,450 apartments, which would give Disney the flexibility to add 50 units to its current projected volume of homes."

Full article below.

 
Sirwalterraleigh

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
DCBaker said:
New article from the Orlando Business Journal on a recent rezoning request for the land related to the Affordable Housing development.

"A rezoning request related to Walt Disney World's plans to build an affordable housing community has surfaced in Orange County, suggesting the project — scheduled to open in 2026 — is ramping up.

Walt Disney Imagineering, the think tank/creative of The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS), is the applicant for a June 13 request to rezone 114 acres to planned development to make way for the apartment community, which is expected to have about 1,400 housing units.

The move follows Disney's announcement in November that Camden, NJ-based The Michaels Organization will be the developer for the project on its behalf, as well as its April announcement of a construction timeline and increase from 1,300 units to 1,400.

A project cost has not been announced, but based on construction industry standards, the 1,400-unit community should represented an investment of at least $350 million.

A Disney spokesperson did not disclose any additional details to Orlando Business Journal. Laura Zaner, vice president of corporate communications and marketing for Michaels, said the developer did not have an update at this time.

However, an application for the rezoning request reveals some details, including that Disney and Michaels are seeking a maximum building height of five stories, or 65-feet, for the project to rise on land north of Flamingo Crossings, near the intersection of Avalon Road and Hartzog Road.

It also offers some details on who would qualify for the units, noting "100% of the constructed units will target incomes in the 50-100% AMI (area median income) range," which varies by the number of people in a household.

Finally, the application notes a development program with a maximum of 1,450 apartments, which would give Disney the flexibility to add 50 units to its current projected volume of homes."

Full article below.

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Ahhhh…so then starting wages can go back to $10 an hour?…brilliant, Bob! 🤔
 
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DCBaker

Premium Member
Original Poster
Disstevefan1

Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
WDW to cast member: "Hey cast member, here is your paycheck, now please give us back most of it for rent of our affordable housing, your welcome" ;)
 
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DCBaker

Premium Member
Original Poster
Reporting from Orlando Sentinel on the zoning board meeting today.

Disney’s proposed affordable housing project won a narrow endorsement Thursday from Orange County’s planning and zoning board, as objections from its neighbors dampened enthusiasm for the desperately needed below-market homes.

The advisory board decided 4-3 to recommend Orange County commissioners support a land-use change needed to build the 1,410-unit project on about 80 acres owned by the entertainment giant near State Road 429 and Hartzog Road. The vote came despite concerns from residents in the nearby Horizon West community and elsewhere about the project’s impact on roads, schools and emergency services.

In response, Disney promised to hold another community meeting to hash out those issues before county commissioners decide next month whether to recommend the proposal. It would then go to state authorities for a mandatory review.

Disney’s hand-picked developer, The Michaels Organization, known for building and managing affordable housing communities, also pledged to explore reducing the number of units, a suggestion proposed by the planning board chairman, Nelson Pena.

But it’s not clear whether the entertainment giant ultimately would favor such a path, since it would further limit revenues already constrained by the affordable nature of the units.

Unlike many affordable-housing projects, Disney’s development is not government-subsidized nor is the company seeking impact-fee waivers, meaning it ultimately will have to contribute millions for the schools, roads and other infrastructure needed to accommodate its residents.

Tajiana Ancora-Brown, a Disney official, insisted the company was eager to work with the community.

“Community leaders have identified affordable housing as one of the biggest needs in our region, and our plan can contribute to the solution,” Ancora-Brown said. “We are working very thoughtfully alongside a prominent developer to create a place that strengthens the surrounding area while making a real difference in people’s lives for years to come.”

The housing community is planned to open in phases, with the first units projected to open in 2026. Construction could begin in October.

The project received a far friendlier reception in April 2022 when it was announced. At the time, theme park owners were under pressure to help find solutions to the region’s housing crisis, given the low wages earned by many of their workers.

Disney was not the only company to respond. In November, Universal Parks & Resorts executives staged a ceremonial ground-breaking for a $350 million development called Catchlight Crossings, a 1,000-unit affordable housing project near the Orange County Convention Center.
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www.orlandosentinel.com

Disney’s affordable housing project squeaks through zoning board

Officials promise a community meeting in hopes of easing concerns about overcrowded roads and schools.
www.orlandosentinel.com www.orlandosentinel.com
 
LAKid53

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
I'm all for affordable housing. Definitely a need in Central Florida.

But has the OC Zoning Board considered that Hartzog is a two lane road and 1410 units will have a decidedly negative impact on traffic, the Flamingo Crossing shopping district and the Waterleigh neighborhoods?

Not sure how feasible it will be to expand Hartzog to 4 lanes all the way to Avalon after the point it narrows to 2.
 
build_it

build_it

Well-Known Member
Don’t worry, traffic won’t be an issue - no one can afford to go anywhere- except to work for the mouse. Enjoy your cheese - snap! 🪤
 
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sWANNISAX

Well-Known Member
Between the other apts like the vintage and the ascend properties I don't see how the road could be wider. Maybe the entrance should be on the other side only coming from flamingo on Avalon?
 
LAKid53

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
build_it said:
Don’t worry, traffic won’t be an issue - no one can afford to go anywhere- except to work for the mouse. Enjoy your cheese - snap! 🪤
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Clearly you've got no clue of the neighborhoods that will be affected by the increase in traffic. Not exactly "affordable housing". And the Target, while small, at Flamingo is the closest for us. Don't think the new Waterleigh Publix can handle the increase in patrons. Neither the store nor the parking lot are that big.
 
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LAKid53

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
sWANNISAX said:
Between the other apts like the vintage and the ascend properties I don't see how the road could be wider. Maybe the entrance should be on the other side only coming from flamingo on Avalon?
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That may be the only solution. I can't remember if Avalon is 4 lanes at the intersection with Western Way. But that's quite a detour for that planned complex. Plus there are already homes on Avalon south of Hartzog that back up to the proposed complex that would be impacted if the entrance is off Avalon.
 
Disstevefan1

Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
I wish they build affordable housing for CMs on WDW property! There is plenty of land that could not be used as a park that can be used for CM housing.
 

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