Celebration, Florida | |
|---|---|
 Celebration residential street | |
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 Location inOsceola County and the state of Florida | |
 U.S. census map | |
| Coordinates:28°18′37″N81°33′03″W / 28.31028°N 81.55083°W /28.31028; -81.55083[1] | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Florida |
| County |  Osceola |
| Established | 1994 |
| Area | |
• Total | 10.58 sq mi (27.40 km2) |
| • Land | 10.53 sq mi (27.26 km2) |
| • Water | 0.054 sq mi (0.14 km2) |
| Elevation | 85 ft (26 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 11,178 |
| • Density | 1,062.1/sq mi (410.06/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 34747 |
| Area codes | 321 &407, 689 |
| FIPS code | 12-11285[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2402754[1] |
| Website | www |
Celebration is amaster-planned community (MPC) andcensus-designated place (CDP) inOsceola County,Florida, United States. A suburb ofOrlando, Celebration is located nearWalt Disney World Resort and was originally developed bythe Walt Disney Company. Its population was recorded as 11,178 in the2020 United States census.[4]
After founding Celebration, Disney followed its plans to divest most of its control of the town.[5] Several Disney business units continue to occupy the town's office buildings. The town itself is connected to the Walt Disney World resorts via one of its primary streets, World Drive, which begins near theMagic Kingdom.
VariousNew Classical architects participated in the design of buildings in Celebration. Downtown Celebration's post office was designed byMichael Graves, the adjacent Welcome Center byPhilip Johnson, and the Celebration Health building byRobert A. M. Stern.[6] Other well-known architects who have designed nearby buildings includeCharles Moore (Preview Center),Graham Gund (Bohemian Hotel),Cesar Pelli (movie theater), andRobert Venturi andDenise Scott Brown (SunTrust Bank).[7]
In the early 1990s, theDisney Development Company (DDC) established the Celebration Company to spearhead its development within about 4,900 acres (20 km2) of land in the southern portion of theReedy Creek Improvement District.[8] Total investment for the project is estimated at US$2.5 billion.[9]
The master plan was developed by twoDriehaus Prize winning architects, Jacquelin T. Robertson ofCooper, Robertson & Partners andRobert A. M. Stern. The extensive landscape, parks, trails and pathways were designed by the San Francisco firm EDAW (nowAECOM).[10]Urban Design Associates, of Pittsburgh, developed design guidelines, called anarchitectural pattern book, as a tool for the design of new architecture within the community.[11] Celebration is planned in an early 20th-century architectural style and is not zoned for high-density residences. Celebration was named the "New Community of the Year" in 2001 by theUrban Land Institute.[12] Disney hired graphic designerMichael Beirut to design community elements including street signs, retail signage, manhole covers, fountains, golf course graphics, park trail markers, as well as home sales brochures.[13]
The first phase of residential development occurred in the summer of 1996 with Celebration Village, West Village, and Lake Evalyn; this was followed by the North Village, South Village, East Village and Aquila Reserve and the final Artisan Park phases.[14] Later phases included construction by a number of developers, including David Waronker.[15]
Disney CEOMichael Eisner took an especially keen interest in the development of the new town in the early days, encouraging the executives at Disney Development Company to "make history" and develop a town worthy of the Disney brand and legacy that extended to Walt Disney's vision of anExperimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT). DDC executives collaborated extensively with leaders in education, health, and technology in addition to planners and architects to create the vision and operating policies for the town.
There were a series of car accidents involving a retention pond adjacent to World Drive which required the addition of more safety structures.[16]
Disney attempted numerous efforts to encourage economic and ethnic diversity among residents in the early days of development. The company placed advertisements in newspapers and magazines that catered toAfrican-American andHispanic demographics, printed brochures featuring racial minorities, and hired African-American workers in the community's sales office.[17] In addition, the owners of the first 350 houses and 123 apartments were chosen by a lottery in an effort to prevent racial discrimination against homebuyers.[17] However, by 2000, it was revealed that the racial makeup of the community was 88% white, compared to the surrounding county's 59% white population. Demographers partially blamed the lack of diversity on Disney's decision to forego buildingsubsidized housing inside the community, instead opting to donate $900,000 toOsceola County to help area residents buy houses under $80,000, below the market value of most housing in Celebration.[17]
In 2016,The Wall Street Journal reported that Celebration Town Center condominium owners "are battling leaky roofs, balconies that have become separated from the sides of buildings and mold spreading in their walls. Their properties have become so dilapidated, they say, they're having trouble selling them."
An April 2016 civil suit seeks to force the Town Center Foundation, a controlling entity under sole direction of Lexin Capital, "which took control of part of Celebration in 2004, to pay for upward of $15 million to $20 million in repairs" which were deferred over ten years.[18]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 10.7 square miles (28 km2), of which 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2), or 0.28%, is water.
Celebration is under USPSZIP code 34747, sometimes known asKissimmee. This is due to the city beingunincorporated, as Celebration is not a subdivision and is still considered an unincorporated town.
Celebration is well known by Orlando Area residents for its town center, luxury houses, andwalkability, which includes the Celebration Nature Trails. Celebration has over 23 miles (37 km) of nature trails connecting the entire neighborhood. The nature trails provide access to scenery and wildlife, and are accessible on foot or by bike.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2,736 | — | |
| 2010 | 7,427 | 171.5% | |
| 2020 | 11,178 | 50.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[19] | |||
As of the census[3] of 2020, there were 11,178 people, 5,404 households, and 4,377 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,064.5 people per square mile (411.0 people/km2). There were 6,918 housing units at an average density of 658.8 units per square mile (254.4 units/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 75.5%white (with 71.6% of the populationnon-Hispanic white), 1.3%black, 2.4%Asian, 18.8% fromtwo or more races and 0.0%Native American.Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 15.2% of the population.
There were 5,404 households, out of which 69% were married couples living together, 5% had a female householder with no married spouse present, 8% had a male householder with no married spouse present, and 19% were non-families. The average household size was 2.52 persons per household.
The age distribution was 15% 0-9 years old, 13% 10-19 years old, 10% aged 20-29 years old, 11% 30-39 years old, 12% 40-49 years old, 13% 50-59 years old, 10% 60-69 years old, and 14% who were 70 years of age or older. The median age was 40.2 years. 49.7% of the population was male and 50.3% of the population was female.
21.6% of the population aged 5 years or older spoke a language other than English at home. 98.2% of the population aged 25 years or older had a high school diploma or higher, and 59.0% of the population aged 25 years or older had aBachelor’s degree or higher.
24% of households had an annual income under $50,000, 27% had an annual income of between $50,000 and $100,000, 31% had an annual income of between $100,000 and $200,000, and 17% had an annual income of over $200,000. The median income for a household in the CDP was $96,242. Males had a median income of $58,100, and females had a median income of $29,400. The per-capita income for the CDP was $56,117 and 3.8% of the population lived below thepoverty line.
The area is organized under state law as acommunity development district. The largest landowners are entities controlled bythe Walt Disney Company.[20]
For decades Celebration was very politically conservative.[citation needed]
Celebration is entirely withinFlorida's 9th congressional district and is represented by DemocratDarren Soto in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the legislature, Celebration is represented by DemocratKristen Arrington in the State Senate and RepublicanCarolina Amesty in the State House of Representatives.[citation needed]
Celebration Town Center contains shops, restaurants, and other commercial establishments, as well as 106 residences.[21]
Celebration has six Christian churches, one Jewish congregation, and one hospital ministry.[22]
There are now more than 500 registered companies[23] listed as doing business in the shopping plazas, small office complexes, and the Disney World office building park. This community holds the only Class A office buildings inOsceola County.[citation needed]
Celebration is separated into areas referred to as "villages." The main village, closest to downtown, is where the first homes were constructed. North Village, closest to US-192, houses the Georgetown Condos as well as Acadia Estate Homes. East Village includesRoseville Corner and Aquila Loop. Lake Evalyn, generally considered its own area of Celebration but not quite its own village, includes a small lake where one can find a multitude of ducks, alligators, and the occasional river otter. South Village houses the Spring Park Loop estate homes and Heritage Hall. Additionally, Siena Condos complete the outer edge of South Village by Celebration Blvd. Mirasol includes condos with concierge service and a day spa.Artisan Park is at the end of Celebration Ave and houses condos, townhomes, single-family residences as well as a clubhouse consisting of a pool, gym, and restaurant.
Celebration hosts many celebrations every year, including community-wide yard sales, an art show, an exotic car festival, an annual Radio Disney Holiday concert, an Oktoberfest Celebration, the "Great American Pie Festival" (televised onthe Food Network),[24] a "Posh Pooch" festival, and downtown events for the Fall and Christmas seasons when autumn leaves and "snow" (small-scale soap flakes) are released into the Town Center. The community also hosts a largeIndependence Day fireworks celebration. The town events are organized on the Internet by the Community Calendar.[25]
TheSchool District of Osceola County, Florida, operates public schools in Celebration.[26] Celebration is zoned to the Celebration School for K-8.[27][28]Celebration High School, located in the city, serves Celebration for grades 9–12.[29]
There are free classes offered at the community center by clubs for cooking, gardening, art, writing, and technology.[citation needed]
There are private education options such as the Montessori Academy of Celebration, Creation Kids VillageIB Diploma Programme School, and more.[30]
Private graduate education was once offered atStetson University Celebration Campus.[31] The Stetson Celebration campus was sold in 2018 with plans to convert it into offices. It was purchased again in 2021 with intent to open a medical school in the building.[32]
TheOsceola Library System operates the West Osceola Branch Library in Celebration.[33]
In 2011, 91% of residents who work outside their homes drove to work.[34]
The two main roads going through the center of the Celebration's downtown area are Market Street and Front Street. Other streets in Celebration include:
The only hospital in Celebration is thenon-profit hospitalAdventHealth Celebration.[35][36] The hospital is affiliated withAdventHealth Orlando.[37] With itsMediterranean-style[38] and proximity toWalt Disney World, the hospital attractspatients fromaround the world.[39] In April 2024, AdventHealth announced it will add a 44,966-square-foot five story patient tower to the campus, with three operating rooms and 80 beds (increasing the number of hospital beds to 427). The hospital would be one of the largest hospitals inOsceola County.[40][41]
Notes
Bibliography
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Municipalities and communities ofOsceola County, Florida,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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Disney Experiences (The Walt Disney Company) † located on Disney property, but not operated by Disney‡ located off Disney property | |||||||||||
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