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One of the Mickeys in Disney's army in Times Square (ChrisGampat via Flickr)
The Mouse is on the move again, this time going bigger and, ideally, better for two new projects in the area.
First up will be their ambitious retail venture in the renovated Santa Monica Place Mall that aims to treat shoppers to a technology-infused "theme park" experience, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press, and to re-vamp the concept they consulted with the Apple Store folks.
This "re-booted" shop is what Disney Stores Worldwide president Jim Fielding calls "the Disney Store of the future." Of course, the future according to Disney happens to be about entertaining customers so that they'll stay longer and spend more money. Have your Piglet Piggy Banks ready to break open for an August launch.
Meanwhile, in Glendale, the City Council has given their approval on the "proposed 338,000-square-foot expansion of Walt Disney Co.'s creative campus," reports the LA Times. The addition of a 6-story glass-walled building and park space is hoped to raise the aesthetic appeal of the area, and to bring in 1,200 new employees for Disney, and 200 construction jobs following the September groundbreaking.
This is the second-phase of a massive project Disney is working on in the area that is centered on the Grand Central Air Terminal. "Disney plans to eventually develop up to 5.95 million square feet of offices and outdoor space," as part of a long-term plan expected to be complete in 2025.
