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Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024

Disney Plays Master Developer at Cotino

The Walt Disney Co. will move into residential home-building with Storyliving by Disney, master-planned communities with amenities and special touches that are hallmarks of the company.

 The Burbank entertainment and media giant will build the first community, Cotino, in Rancho Mirage in the Coachella Valley, a location where Walt Disney himself owned a home and would spend time with his family, a release from the company said. Other locations in the U.S. are under exploration for future development.

 Walt Disney Imagineers will play a role in developing the creative concept for the communities, working in conjunction with developers and homebuilders.

 Michael Hundgen, executive producer of Walt Disney Imagineering, said that a team of Imagineers is looking at the areas to inspire the theme of Storyliving by Disney communities.

 “Distinctively designed indoor and outdoor spaces will offer residents new opportunities to explore, engage and create the next incredible chapter of their story,” Hundgen said in a statement.

 Cotino will have homes available to all age groups and include an area for those 55 years and older. Home buyers will have a range of home types to choose from, including estates, single family homes and condominiums, according to the Disney release.

 The community is being developed by DMB Development, a Scottsdale, Arizona developer of large-scale planned communities.

DMB Chief Executive Brent Herrington said the firm was delighted to collaborate with Disney on this new concept. 

“Cotino represents the creativity and operational excellence of Disney combined with the extensive community development expertise of DMB Development,” Herrington said in a statement. 

As part of the specific plan, the community is expected to surround an approximately 24-acre grand oasis featuring clear turquoise waters with Crystal Lagoons technology, enabling crystalline lagoons of any size to be built sustainably, with low water consumption and using a minimum amount of additives and energy, according to Disney.

Also, there will be a mixed-use district featuring a range of shopping, dining and entertainment, a beachfront hotel and a professionally managed beach park with recreational water activities that can be accessed by the public through the purchase of a day pass, the Disney release said.

 Through a club membership, Disney will also provide access to curated experiences, such as wellness programming, entertainment ranging from live performances to cooking classes, philanthropic endeavors and seminars, the release added.

Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, said the company cannot wait to welcome residents to these Disney communities where they can live their lives to the fullest.

“For nearly 100 years, Disney has shared stories that have touched the hearts and minds of people all around the world,” D’Amaro said in a statement. “As we prepare to enter our second century, we are developing new 

Mark Madler
Mark Madler
Mark R. Madler covers aviation & aerospace, manufacturing, technology, automotive & transportation, media & entertainment and the Antelope Valley. He joined the company in February 2006. Madler previously worked as a reporter for the Burbank Leader. Before that, he was a reporter for the City News Bureau of Chicago and several daily newspapers in the suburban Chicago area. He has a bachelor’s of science degree in journalism from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

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