ANAHEIM, Calif. — Those who want, and have the means, to live in The Walt Disney Co.’s first community in California can soon do so in the heart of the Coachella Valley.
After announcing that the company would help develop a new master-planned community, called Storyliving by Disney, in Rancho Mirage earlier this year, Disney officials previewed what the residential component could look like once built this past weekend.
On the wall of the Storyliving Community booth at the D23 Expo, Disney’s fan convention in Anaheim were pictures and renderings of mid-century modern homes with natural stone elements in the Cotino community.
“We’re going to stay true to the architecture and design of the homes in the surrounding area,” said a Disney official staffing the booth. “We want to be good stewards of the environment and history of the area.”
Disney and partner DMB Development of Scottsdale broke ground on the 618-acre master-planned development in April.
The duo has received approvals to build a town center, a 400-room hotel, 1,900 residential homes, and more than 175,000 square feet of commercial buildings around a 24-acre artificial lagoon. The site sits on the former Annenberg Estate between Gerald Ford and Frank Sinatra Drive.
Disney chose to build in the Coachella Valley because of the area’s connection to Walt Disney. Walt Disney owned two homes in Palm Springs and even sold one to help finance the building of Disneyland in the early 1950s, the Desert Sun reported.
Disney officials have previously said the development could be one of several Storyliving by Disney communities they are planning to build.
The company is exploring other additional locations in the U.S. for future development. The company already has other Disney communities in Florida near Walt Disney World.
Disney officials said the 1,900 homes in Rancho Mirage would be a mix of condominiums, and small and large single-family homes. One section would be for seniors 55 and over.
Disney officials did not give the approximate square footage of each home or the price range.
“We anticipate sales for Cotino, a Storyliving by Disney community to open in 2023,” said a Disney spokeswoman in an emailed statement to Spectrum News. “The exact date, home sizes, and prices will be announced at a later time.”
The Disney spokesperson added that they expect to launch sales in 2023, with the first residents moving in 2024.
Disney will offer residents a voluntary club membership that allows them access to a waterfront clubhouse, a club-only beach area, recreational water activities, Disney programming, entertainment and other activities.
Visitors could purchase a day pass where they can sit along the beach area of the lagoon and partake in recreational water activities.
Disney officials gave no other timeline as to when the development would be complete.
People interested in being the first to purchase a home or learn more about the upcoming development can sign up to the Storyliving by Disney email list at StorylivingbyDisney.com.