On Thursday, Disney reportedly told its employees they will no longer be moving forward with plans to construct new housing in Lake Nona to relocate 2,000 employees from California to Central Florida. In response to the news, Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book (D-Davie) shared this statement:
“Instead of working to make Florida’s economy welcoming and free, the Governor picks partisan political fights that stifle businesses, Floridians’ futures and our state’s reputation. Retaliation is not the way the government should do business.
It’s sad that Disney had to make this decision to pull growth away from Florida, but when you play political games that weaken relations with one of Florida’s largest economic drivers in the state, it’s only a matter of time before businesses decide it’s not worth it to work in the Sunshine state.”
Senator Linda Stewart (D-Orlando) shared this statement:
“While the news from Disney this afternoon comes as a disappointment, it is an understandable move given the business climate we are in as a state. Businesses continuously evaluate environments and economic factors when undertaking large relocations – and Disney is no different. While I wish the determination was different, I believe Florida’s political atmosphere caused this reorganization to occur.
However, this move should not be viewed as a reflection on Lake Nona. The additional jobs and housing would have been a great boost to our community, but I’m confident that Lake Nona will continue to be a key location for future investment from the Walt Disney Company.”
