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Groundbreaking Ceremony announced for Disney’s new residential community

Walt Disney cowboy hat coachella valley
Credit: Canva Creation

Disney has announced it will hold a special groundbreaking ceremony for Storyliving by Disney‘s Cotino community, the Walt Disney Company‘s first-ever planned residential community.

cotino storyliving by disney

Credit: Disney

According to the Desert Sun, a groundbreaking ceremony will take place on April 26, 2022, and media invitations were sent via email earlier this week. Disney will host the ceremony, which is scheduled to begin at 10:00 o’clock in the morning.

The brand-new Disney community will be the first of the Storyliving by Disney communities, and it will be located in Rancho Mirage, part of California’s Greater Palm Springs area. First announced in February, the new residential communities will be “managed by Cast Members who deliver world-class service and of course, fun,” per the Storyliving by Disney website.

storyliving by disney

Credit: Disney

These master-planned communities are intended to “inspire residents to foster new friendships, pursue their interests, and write the next exciting chapter in their lives,” reads a press release from The Walt Disney Company, “all while enjoying the attention to detail, unique amenities, and special touches that are Disney hallmarks.”

Storyliving by Disney‘s Cotino community invites prospective residents to take in the Palm Springs, California, landscape:

“Welcome to a dynamic, creative oasis set within the stunning landscape of Palm Springs – the ultimate destination for curious dreamers and doers seeking exploration, innovation, and inspiration.”

On Thursday, a Disney spokesperson said that the special groundbreaking ceremony will not be open to the public.

cotino development storyliving by disney

Undeveloped location for Cotino/Credit: The Desert Sun

The Disney Cotino development is planned on what is referred to as Section 31. The development is a 618-acre project by DMB Development. It will be the location of 1,700 homes of varying sizes, including single-family homes, estates, and condominiums, a 24-acre lagoon suitable for swimming, and a 400-room Disney Resort Hotel as well.

Currently, the area, which is bordered by Monterey Avenue and Bob Hope Drive on the east and west and Gerald Ford Drive and Frank Sinatra Drive on the north and south, is fenced off. Watering of the grounds began weeks ago, preparing the land for grading, which has also been taking place at the new Disney community location.

RELATED: Cue the Comments: Disney’s building a new community for “Disney Adults” and Twitter is having a heyday 

On Thursday, city spokesman Gabe Codding said that grading of the property is expected to last nine to twelve months. According to Codding, the city has not received any building permit applications at this time. He added that he did not have a date for the Disney community to come to the City Council for approval.

Disney chose Rancho Mirage as the location for the first Storyliving by Disney community because of the personal connection Walt Disney had with the Coachella Valley. At this time, prices for homes in the Storyliving by Disney community have not been disclosed.

walt disney's home

Walt Disney’s home in the Coachella Valley/Credit: Walt Disney Archives

The specific plan for the use of the land has been approved by the city, but the Cotino community will still have to go through an application process and secure approval, as is the case for any development project in the area. The process will include a presentation to the Architectural Review Board, the Planning Commission, and then the City Council.

cotino storyliving by disney

Credit: Disney

RELATED: GET OUT DISNEY! Some residents near Disney’s new housing development are furious over the project

During the presentation to the City Council, residents of the area will be able to share their opinions and concerns over the new development, which could be potentially problematic for Disney, as many residents in the area don’t want Disney moving into their area.

Another post by the Desert Sun features some of the reactions to Disney’s new Cotino community from those in the Palm Springs/Rancho Mirage area, and they aren’t in favor of the development at all. Some opponents of the Storyliving by Disney community in Rancho Mirage refer to the project as an example of “greed over reason,” while others say the development of such a community in that area doesn’t make good sense as far as the natural environment is concerned.

About Becky Burkett

Becky's from the Lone Star State and has been writing since she was 10 and encountered her first Disney Park when she was 11. It was love at first Main Street Electrical Parade. Joy is blank lined journals, 0.7 mm pens, and all things Walt, Woody and Buzz, PIXAR, Imagineering, Sleeping Beauty (make it blue!), Disney Parks history and EPCOT. At Disney World, you'll find her croonin' with the birdies at the Enchanted Tiki Room or hangin' with Woody and the gang at Toy Story Land. If you can dream, you really can do it!