Disney canceled plans for a new employee campus in central Florida on Thursday in the latest ripple effect from its feud with Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
The entertainment giant would not move forward with the Lake Nona project, due to “considerable changes” since the original announcement, “including new leadership and changing business conditions,” a memo from Disney parks and resorts chairman Josh D’Amaro said.
The project, announced in July 2021, was expected to relocate 2,000 jobs from California to Lake Nona, which is about 30km east of the huge Disney World complex in Orlando, Florida.
Photo: REUTERS
The staff would have included workers in digital technology, finance and product development, with an average annual salary of US$120,000, Orlando business groups said at the time.
The project was estimated as an US$864 million investment, earlier media reports said.
However, 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 US president Donald Trump, DeSantis has staked out far-right positions on myriad hot-button issues, restricting children’s access to some books and blocking a course on Black studies.
Disney’s decision was “unfortunate,” the statement cited Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings
as saying.
The site would have been held in the county’s juristiction.
“However, these are the consequences when there isn’t an inclusive and collaborative work environment between the state of Florida and the business community,” Demings said. “We will continue to work closely with our valued partners at Disney.”
In February, DeSantis removed Disney’s control of its special self-governing district, which allowed the city-sized park to run its own zoning and infrastructure projects, exempt from state regulations.
DeSantis also floated the idea of building a new prison near the park, which is part of a sprawling tourism site employing 75,000 people and attracting 50 million visitors per year.
However, Disney, which reinstated longtime leader Bob Iger as chief executive officer in November last year, has fought back.
In April, Disney sued DeSantis, characterizing his 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.
Trump has ridiculed DeSantis’ fight with Disney, and in April wrote on social media that the company would stop investing in Florida or could “even announce a slow withdrawal.”
In a statement on Thursday, Trump’s campaign said that DeSantis’ feud with Disney has robbed the state of a huge investment and lucrative jobs “because he was too weak to fight for his state,” while hailing Trump as “the Jobs President.”
“Ron DeSantis’ failed war on Disney has done little for his limping shadow campaign, and now is doing even less for Florida’s economy,” the campaign said.
The company is “committed to our teams who call Central Florida home,” D’Amaro said.
“We have plans to invest US$17 billion and create 13,000 jobs over the next 10 years,” D’Amaro said. “I hope we’re able to do so.”
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