Disney cancels planned central Florida corporate campus
Jack Birle
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Disney will not move forward with its planned corporate campus in Lake Nona, Florida, which would have relocated nearly 2,000 jobs from California to the Sunshine State.
Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro announced the cancellation to employees in an internal memo issued on Thursday. He cited new leadership at the company and “changing business conditions.
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“Given the considerable changes that have occurred since the announcement of this project, including new leadership and changing business conditions, we have decided not to move forward with construction of the campus,” D’Amaro said in the memo.
“This was not an easy decision to make, but I believe it is the right one,” he continued.
The Lake Nona campus would have mostly consisted of employees from the theme park division of the company, and the deal was expected to give Disney an estimated $570 million in tax breaks. D’Amaro said the relocation of employees from California to Florida would cease and those who had been relocated would be talked with.
The plan comes as Disney and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) are engaged in a feud that began with Disney’s vocal opposition to the state’s Parental Rights in Education law. The conflict has most recently resulted in a lawsuit over the state takeover of the special district encompassing the Walt Disney World Resort.
At a company earnings call last week, Disney CEO Bob Iger expressed frustration over the company’s frosty relationship with Florida’s government, noting their “terrific relationship” with the state in the past, and he asked if Florida wanted more investment or not.
“Does the state want us to invest more, employ more people, and pay more taxes or not?” Iger asked.
Orange County, Florida, Mayor Jerry Demmings said Disney’s announcement is what happens when “there isn’t an inclusive and collaborative work environment between the state of Florida and the business community.
“It is unfortunate that Disney will not be moving forward with construction of the Lake Nona campus. However, these are the consequences when there isn’t an inclusive and collaborative work environment between the state of Florida and the business community. We will continue to work closely with our valued partners at Disney,” Demmings said in a statement.
Despite the corporate campus being scrapped, D’Amaro reassured employees that the company is still looking to invest in its Florida resort, Walt Disney World.
“I remain optimistic about the direction of our Walt Disney World business. We have plans to invest $17 billion and create 13,000 jobs over the next 10 years. I hope we’re able to do so. We are committed to our teams who call Central Florida home and to all of our Cast Members around the world, and I want to thank you for your continued dedication to Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products and for delivering world-class entertainment for our guests,” D’Amaro said in the memo.
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Disney announced last month its planned affordable housing project would open in 2026 and will feature 1,400 total units.
“We hope to make a positive impact wherever we can in our community, so to be able to offer more units means even more Florida families will get access to attainable housing, in addition to creating new Florida jobs as part of the construction and operation,” Rena Langley, senior vice president for Walt Disney World’s communications and public affairs, said in a post on the Disney Parks blog last month.