Land of Possibilities for Disney
For years the family held out, while the land of Disney grew and huge parcels of agricultural land around Orange County sprouted high-tech office parks, suburban tracts and malls. Last week, the Walt Disney Co. announced that it had at last acquired an option to buy the giant 52.5-acre strawberry farm on Harbor Boulevard owned by the Fujishige family.
The tide of change has swept over a once-agricultural city and county to create an entirely new kind of suburban society. A block from a second Disney theme park now being built, the parcel has been a conversation piece for decades as Disney sought to map its future operations in Anaheim. One reminder of the past was contained in the announcement; the family would continue to farm 3.5 acres.
As for the rest of the land, Disney said it had no immediate plans to build. The company has its new Disney’s California Adventure theme park on the way. There has been some speculation among real estate observers that the land would be used to bring something like the Florida Paradise Island concept to Anaheim, which is a cluster of nightclubs and restaurants near Walt Disney World.
The city and tourism advocates were quick to express their enthusiasm. History offers some instruction.
In the past, the Disney people have floated proposals for different kinds of theme parks or developments for Anaheim and Long Beach. What the city eventually gets may look very different from anything actually under discussion. However, the current development of the second theme park does much to bolster Anaheim’s dream of staying current as a destination resort. This acquisition allows for new possibilities.
For the city, there well could be a new round of negotiations down the road over what kind of infrastructure improvements will be made. The city ought to provide careful oversight and ensure that the plan works well with other components.
The furthering of Disney’s presence strengthens the longtime partnership with the city. It can bolster Anaheim as Disney’s place to visit on the West Coast.
Careful planning can make the transfer of strawberry fields an important event in the city’s growth.
