Disney has announced the cancellation of its plans for a new employee campus in central Florida, the decision comes amid an ongoing feud between Disney and Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.
Disney canceled plans for a new employee campus in central Florida on Thursday in the latest ripple effect from its feud with the Republican governor of the state, Ron DeSantis.
The entertainment giant will not move forward with the Lake Nona project due to “considerable changes” since the original announcement, “including new leadership and changing business conditions,” said a memo from parks chairman Josh D’Amaro.
The project, announced in July 2021, was expected to relocate 2,000 jobs from California to Lake Nona, about 20 miles (32.19 km) east of Orlando’s vast Disney World complex.
The staff was to have included workers in digital technology, finance, and product development, with an average annual salary of $120,000, Orlando business groups said at the time of the announcement.
According to earlier press reports, the project was estimated as an $864 million investment.
But Disney has been embroiled in an increasingly pitched battle with DeSantis, who is reportedly planning to launch his bid for the Republican presidential nomination next week.
The origin of the fight was Disney’s criticism of a DeSantis-backed law banning school lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity.
In his challenge to former president Donald Trump, DeSantis has staked out far-right positions on myriad hot-button issues, restricting children’s access to certain books and blocking a new course on Black studies.
Jerry Demings, mayor of Orange County, which comprises the tourism site, said Disney’s decision was “unfortunate,” according to a statement.
In February, DeSantis removed Disney’s control of its special self-governing district, which allowed the city-sized park to run its zoning and infrastructure projects, exempt from state regulations.
The Florida governor also floated the idea of building a new prison near the park, part of a sprawling tourism site employing 75,000 people and attracting 50 million visitors annually.
In April, Disney sued DeSantis, characterizing the Florida governor’s actions as a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” that violates the company’s right to free speech.
Earlier this week, Disney asked a judge to throw out a lawsuit filed by a DeSantis-aligned oversight board.
For his part, Trump has ridiculed DeSantis’s fight with Disney, predicting in April in a social media post that the company would stop investing new money in Florida or “even announce a slow withdrawal.”
Miroslava Salazar with AFP
