CONFIRMED: Disney's NEW Housing Project Takes Major Step Forward After Hours of Public Comments

Disney is always working on something new. And, lately, the company’s eyes have been set on creating housing communities in various areas of the United States.

In Orlando, the community has been vocal about Disney’s new affordable housing development, causing county commissioners to hold a second meeting to hear comments. And now, we have the results of that meeting.

Disney’s affordable housing project had previously been approved by the Orange County Planning and Zoning Board; however, it was only narrowly approved, with a final vote of 4-3. Because of this, another meeting was held on March 26th where community members could make their concerns heard.

The approval had been granted despite concerns by residents in a nearby community worried about how the new housing would affect the neighborhood’s roads, schools, and emergency services.

County commissioners were still tasked with making a final decision on whether to recommend Disney’s proposal. If it is recommended, the proposal would go to state authorities for review.

Disney has already chosen a developer for the project, The Michaels Organization, who have also agreed to consider reducing how many units the housing will contain. Disney had initial hopes that the new complex would have five stories and would “target incomes in the 50-100% AMI (area median income) range” in the Orlando area, which fluctuates depending on how many members there are in the family.

Many of the concerns voiced by those who spoke were about the lack of infrastructure currently present in Orlando that would be needed to support an additional 1400 residences in the city. Residents are concerned that the land Disney has chosen for the new development is in an inconvenient place and would increase traffic, car accidents, and school capacity.

Kathy Hattaway, with Walt Disney Imagineering, addressed some of those concerns and shared that Disney had met all the requirements based on current land use guidelines.

After several hours of back and forth and a significant number of comments from community members, the commission ultimately decided to push the proposal through to state authorities with a 4-2 vote.

Ultimately, we’ll have to wait and see what the state authorities decide about whether or not this project will move forward. Disney has also expressed plans to begin groundbreaking on the complex by October 2024 with an anticipated completion timeline set for 2026, when the housing would begin to open in phases.

Stay tuned to AllEars as we continue to keep an eye on this project and any updates.