The Walt Disney Company, which owns a chain of popular amusement parks, has decided to resume construction of residential complexes for its “most loyal fans”, who, according to one of the company’s executives Josh D’Amaro, will thus have the opportunity to “be at the Disney park all the time.”
The first complex, called Cotino, is planned for construction in Rancho Mirage, California, and will have approximately 1,900 housing units. The design of the complex is entrusted to the design group Imagineers, and construction will be overseen by a new division of Storyliving by Disney. One of the main objects of the complex is planned to be a 24-acre lagoon.
Co-op apartments, single-family homes and condominiums will be put up for sale, and a portion of the housing stock will be reserved for individuals aged 55 and over. One of the programs developed for the residents of the complex includes lectures on the history and cultural traditions of the company, and “fans” living in the complex will actively participate in these events.
Disney has done this before. In the 1990s, the company built the 5,000-acre Celebration residential complex in Florida (now no longer owned by the company). And in 2011, Disney opened an elite resort in Golden Oak, Florida.
This time, the company’s contractor is Arizona-based construction firm DMB Development, which will not only build but also sell housing. And Disney employees will take over the day-to-day provision of various services to residents, including customer support, as well as seminars, wellness programs, sports and entertainment events.
Newspaper headline:
Forever with Disney