Disney had planned to relocate its Imagineering department from California to Lake Nona in East Orlando, but as Florida Govenor continues his war against Dsiney, the company have pulled the plug on the project.
The relocation of Walt Disney Imagineering from California to Florida has been canceled.
The New York Times are linking the cancellation of the project to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his current war against the company.
Earlier this month, Disney CEO Bob Iger threatened to pull a planned $17 billion in investment in Walt Disney World due to the Governor's actions.
Iger who was speaking at an investors conference call stated “Does the state want us to invest more, employ more people, and pay more taxes, or not?”
Fast forward to today, Thursday, May 18, and Iger has binned the $1 billion office complex that was scheduled for construction in Lake Nona.
The project would have led to 2,000+ jobs in Orlando, including the relocation of more than 1,000 employees from Disney Imagineering in California, and with some employees already in Orlando, its believed that they have been offered a move back to California, plus as many California Imagineering employees did not want to move to Florida, they actually left the company.
In a letter to employees today, Josh D’Amaro, Disney’s theme park and consumer products chairman, cited “changing business conditions” as a reason for canceling the Lake Nona project. “I remain optimistic about the direction of our Walt Disney World business,” Mr. D’Amaro said in the memo. He noted that $17 billion was still earmarked for construction at Disney World over the next decade — growth that would create an estimated 13,000 jobs. “I hope we’re able to,” he said in a seemingly thinly veiled dig at Ron DeSantis
The NY Times have spoken to two people briefed on the matter, and the feeling is that the war DeSantis is waging against Disney here in Florida has figured greatly in Disney’s decision to cancel the Lake Nona project...
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