Disney World’s affordable housing plans have passed an Orange County Board of County Commissioners vote this evening, sending the proposal to State agencies for the next steps. The plans call for just over 1,400 units on a piece of property near Walt Disney World. Disney has offered the land to The Michaels Organization, and Disney will not benefit financially from the project. The apartments will be available to rent by anyone who qualifies, including Cast Members, but not limited to Cast Members.

The Orange County Board of County Commissioners heard Disney’s appeal today, along with a number of area residents who were against the project. The commission chambers were packed throughout the afternoon, with the affordable housing portion of the meeting kicking off around 3:50pm.

Mayor Jerry Demings limited comments to one minute per speaker, departing from the typical 2-minute timeframe normally allowed. The majority of the public comments came from area residents who were opposed to the project for a number of reasons, many of which have been previously outlined such as anticipated traffic concerns.

Residents said that the location is poor due to a lack of traffic infrastructure and a lack of room in area schools. Some residents said that the area is becoming overdeveloped and roadways are clogged. Many residents asked Disney and the Orange County Commissioners to consider other locations for the development. Disney said that this is the only location that they are entering an application for.

A few public speakers were in support of the project, noting that there is a serious need for affordable housing in Central Florida. Many of the speakers in support of the project were area leaders who deal with the issues of affordable housing in Central Florida on a daily basis.

During the final portion of the meeting, there was a rather spirited exchange between Board Members, debating the concerns of area residents. Discussion ranged from transportation concerns to cost concerns. There were even concerns about expanding the Horizon West area to include the project. The piece of land being donated by Disney used to be part of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, but was annexed when the District was redrawn and renamed to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. The land needs to be rezoned to allow for development, which Commissioner Wilson said would redraw the Horizons West area.

Commissioners Emily Bonilla and Nicole Wilson asked for the vote to be postponed, but Mayor Demings made a motion and the vote passed 4-2.

The project moves to the State now for a vote before heading back to the county for final approval.

Going back to the project itself, plans call for 1,410 units in the development, with 1,000 units dedicated to affordable housing. Of those 1,000 units, the majority will be dedicated to families in the 80% Area Median Income range, which could be a household income of $49,150 up to nearly $90,000. Only 11% of the housing affordable housing units would be allocated for families at the lowest allowable AMI range.

The community will feature two entrances along Hartzog Road and one on Avalon Road. Adjustments to the Avalon Road entrance are already in the works based on community feedback. Improvements to Avalon Road will more than support the increase in expected traffic from the community, according to officials. There are no planned widening projects for Hartzog Road.

The development will have two amenity buildings and open spaces totaling more than 20 acres. If approved, the project is anticipated to begin construction this fall, open the first units in 2026, and take around 5 years to be fully built out. Disney’s role in the project has been to help with the design and donation of the property. Disney does not stand to directly benefit financially from the project.

Within the community, there will be many small and medium-sized parks for residents to enjoy and a large north-to-south-oriented green space where food trucks, festivals, and art events can be held.

There will be multiple building concepts and designs. As far as living spaces, there will be everything from junior 1-bedroom spaces up to 4-bedroom offerings mixed across housing types such as apartments, flats, and townhome-style layouts. More than 80% of the units will be will be 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom apartments. The junior 1-bedroom suite is proposed to be 576 sqft, and the largest 4-bedroom/3-bath unit would be about 1,900 sqft.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!