Dive Brief: 

• Entertainment giant Disney is expanding its residential development reach with the unveiling of plans for a new community located near Raleigh, North Carolina. 
• Storyliving by Disney announced last week that it is in the beginning stages of planning for Asteria, along with Walt Disney Imagineering and Scottsdale, Arizona-based DMB Development, which is currently developing the company’s first Storyliving community in California. 
• Plans call for more than 4,000 residential units including single-family and multifamily homes, with some home sites specifically designated for 55+ adults, according to the release. The 1,500-acre community will be located in Chatham County in the town of Pittsboro.  

Dive Insight:

Homes in Asteria will be built by select home builders yet to be announced with sales anticipated to begin by 2027, according to the release. Storyliving by Disney is a brand of The Walt Disney Co. launched last year to develop master-planned communities that utilize Disney Imagineering and are staffed by Disney cast members. 

The new community follows on the heels of the first Storyliving by Disney project in Rancho Mirage, California, for which Claire Bilby, general manager of Disney Signature Experienced Emerging Businesses, said there has been “strong initial interest.” Additional Storyliving by Disney locations are under exploration, the company said.

Both communities are being designed with creative guidance from Disney Imagineers, who take inspiration from the region's history, community and landscape. 

Unique programming

The Asteria community will be part of the larger Chatham Park master-planned community by Preston Development Co.

Asteria homeowners will become part of a club with access to amenities, including a wellness and recreation center, restaurant, sport courts, swimming pools and a community garden. The club will also feature “enrichment programming,” with experiences under consideration including storytelling dinners inspired by Disney films, lessons with Disney artists and family fun days with Disney-themed activities.

In related news, Walt Disney World is building an attainable housing development in southwest Orange County, Florida. Disney will contribute approximately 80 acres of land for the community, which was announced last year, and will offer affordable options for qualifying applicants within certain income levels, including employees at Disney’s nearby Magic Kingdom theme park in Orlando.

The development is expected to include more than 1,300 units. Disney will collaborate with Camden, New Jersey-based The Michaels Organization throughout the design and construction process, according to a press release. Additional details, including a construction timeline, will be shared in the future.