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Now that the DeSantis nomination fight is over, Disney is set to invest $17 billion in Florida parks.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Months after Disney and Gov. Ron DeSantis“The appointees agreed to end a long-running legal battle, with both sides close to approving a deal that could lead the company to invest $17 billion in its Florida resort and open the door to a fifth major theme park at Walt Disney World.

The five DeSantis-appointed supervisors who oversee the Disney World district will vote Wednesday on a new development agreement that both sides agreed to negotiate after a March settlement ended their lawsuits against each other .

The agreement between Disney and the Central Florida Tourism and Oversight District would last for the next 15 years. The district provides municipal services such as firefighting, planning and mosquito control, among others. It was controlled by Disney supporters for most of its five decades until it was taken over by DeSantis appointees last year.

Under the terms of the agreement, over the next ten to twenty years, Disney would be allowed to build a fifth major theme park at Disney World and two other minor parks, such as water parks. The company could increase the number of hotel rooms on its property from nearly 40,000 rooms to more than 53,000 rooms and increase retail and restaurant square footage by more than 20 percent. Disney would retain control over building height due to its need to maintain an immersive environment.

In exchange, Disney would be required to donate up to 100 acres (40 hectares) of Disney World’s 24,000 acres (9,700 hectares) for the construction of infrastructure projects controlled by the District. The company is also expected to award at least half of its construction projects to Florida-based companies and spend at least $10 million on affordable housing in Central Florida.

The March settlement ended nearly two years of litigation sparked by DeSantis’ takeover of the district from Disney supporters over the company’s opposition to Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law.

The 2022 law bans classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades and was championed by the Republican governor, who used Disney as a punching bag in his speeches until he is suspending his presidential campaign this year.

As punishment for Disney’s opposition to the controversial law, DeSantis took back the governing district through legislation passed by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature and appointed a new oversight board. Disney sued DeSantis and his appointees, claiming the company’s free speech rights were violated for speaking out against the legislation. A federal judge dismissed that suit in January, but Disney appealed. As part of the March settlement, Disney agreed to stay the appeal of the federal lawsuit.

Before control of the district shifted from Disney allies to DeSantis appointees early last year, Disney supporters on his board signed agreements with Disney transferring design control and the construction of Disney World at the company. The new DeSantis appointees claimed the “last-minute deals” neutralized their powers, and the district sued the company in state court in Orlando to void the contracts.

Disney filed counterclaims, including asking the state court to declare the agreements valid and enforceable. Those state court suits were dismissed as part of the March settlement.

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Follow Mike Schneider on X, formerly known as Twitter: @MikeSchneiderAP.

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