| Celebration, Florida | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — CDP — | |||
| Downtown Celebration | |||
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| Location in Osceola County and the state of Florida | |||
| U.S. Census Map | |||
| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | Florida | ||
| County | Osceola | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 10.7 sq mi (27.7 km2) | ||
| • Land | 10.7 sq mi (27.6 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.1 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 82 ft (25 m) | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • Total | 7,427 | ||
| • Density | 694.4/sq mi (268.1/km2) | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP code | 34747 | ||
| Area code(s) | 321 & 407 | ||
| FIPS code | 12-11285[1] | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 1699772[2] | ||
| Website | http://www.celebration.fl.us/ | ||
Celebration is a census-designated place (CDP) and a master-planned community in Osceola County, Florida, United States, located near Walt Disney World Resort and originally developed by The Walt Disney Company. As part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area, Celebration's population was 7,427 at the 2010 census.[3]
Subsequent to founding Celebration, Disney followed its plans[4] to divest most of its control of the town. Several Disney business units continue to occupy the town's office buildings, and two utility companies, Smart City Telecom and Reedy Creek Energy Services, both operated from Walt Disney World, provide services to the town. The town itself remains directly connected to the Walt Disney World resorts via one of its primary streets, World Drive, which begins near the Magic Kingdom.
Downtown Celebration's post office was designed by Michael Graves, its town hall by Philip Johnson and its Celebration Health building by Robert A. M. Stern.[5] Response to Celebration has ranged from an early visitor who said it resembled the too-perfect town of The Stepford Wives,[5] to those who see Celebration as a return to small-town values with walkable and safe communities.[6]
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In the early 1990s, the Disney Development Company (DDC) established the Celebration Company to spearhead its development within approximately 4,900 acres (20 km2) of land in the southern portion of the Reedy Creek Improvement District.[7] Total investment for the project is estimated at US$2.5 billion.[8]
The master plan was developed by Cooper, Robertson & Partners and Robert A. M. Stern, and the extensive landscape, parks, trails and pathways were designed by the San Francisco firm EDAW (now AECOM).[9] 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 the Urban Land Institute.[10]
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.[11] Disney CEO Michael 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 an Experimental 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.
Celebration is located at (28.320059, −81.540149).[12]
According to the United 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 USPS ZIP code 34747, sometimes known as Kissimmee, Florida. This is due to the city's being unincorporated, as Celebration is not a subdivision and is still considered an unincorporated town.
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 2,736 people, 952 households, and 716 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 256.4 people per square mile (99.0/km²). There were 1,093 housing units at an average density of 102.4/sq mi (39.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 93.57% white, 1.72% black, 2.41% Asian, 1.02% from other races, 1.02% from two or more races and 0.26% Native American. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.60% of the population.
There were 952 households out of which 45.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.5% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 30.8% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $74,231, and the median income for a family was $92,334. Males had a median income of $51,250 versus $46,650 for females. The per-capita income for the CDP was $39,521, and 6.2% of the population and 4.3% of families were below the poverty line.
Celebration has a variety of community organizations that try to maintain the town; "each play a role in the governance of Celebration."[13] There are also seven registered Christian churches, one Hospital Ministry, and one Jewish congregation.[14]
There are parks throughout the town as well as a fire department, post office, schools, a hospital, and a golf course.
Celebration Town Center contains shops, restaurants, and other commercial establishments.[15]
The Celebration Hotel hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during training camp until the 2009 Season when the team moved training camp back to Tampa Bay. In Autumn, leaf-shaped confetti shoots out of the lamp posts on Market Street to simulate falling Autumn leaves. During the holiday season, suds pour out of the lamp posts to replicate snow while Christmas music streams from the sidewalks.
There is a water fountain that comes out from the ground for children to play in located next to the lake, surrounded by palm trees and benches.
The business community is connected through the Greater Celebration Chamber of Commerce (GCCC),[16] as well the Celebration NonResidental Owners Association (CNOA).
The community started with a small number of merchants that the Disney Company selected. There are now more than five hundred registered companies[17] listed as doing business in the shopping plazas, small office complexes, and the Disney World office building park. This community does hold the Oscoela County only Class A office buildings. There is a high number of home businesses.
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 U.S. 192, houses the Georgetown Condos as well as Acadia Estate Homes. East Village includes Roseville 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, town homes, single-family residences as well as a clubhouse consisting of a pool, gym, and restaurant.
Locals often ride their bikes, walk, or use their neighborhood electric vehicles to get around. Still, 91% of residents, who work outside their homes, drive to work.[18]
Contrary to its design as a quintessential American town, Celebration does not have any road named Main Street. This is because there was already a Main Street in Osceola County, and street names cannot be duplicated in the county. The two main roads going through the center of the downtown area are named Market Street and Front Street. Other streets in Celebration include:
This is considered the main road in the town. The road stretches from U.S. 192 to Artisan Park where it ends in a traffic circle. Starting from U.S. 192 near the Disney Parks and the Celebration water tower, you can find a small shopping plaza. From there, Celebration Avenue passes the North Village, splits the Celebration golf course, winds through a few down-town shops and schools, and then proceeds into the parks and homes in the newer sections of Celebration.
Celebration Boulevard has two sections. The most public section is an avenue parallel to I-4 that includes many commercial businesses and Celebration High School. The architecture on the street is mostly Celebration Modern style. This style reflects art Streamline Moderne and Art Deco influences with its sleek lines, sparse but effective ornamentation, and ample opportunities for individually expressive special features. The entire street is lined with two rows of Washington Palms. The buildings on the street include sitting areas under the shade of trees and trellises along their frontage. The other section of Celebration Boulevard lies on the other side of the golf course, closer to the Celebration Water Tower in the North Village. Here, Celebration Boulevard is almost completely residential. In addition to the homes perched behind white picket fences, this section of Celebration Boulevard flows past the Georgetown condominiums, the community pool, and soccer fields.
Celebration Place nearly spans the gap between the two sections of Celebration Boulevard, except that its eastern end terminates at the Water Tower Plaza instead of at the entrance to North Village on the other side of Route 417. Celebration Place is a commercial road.
The community is home to a state-of-the-art, 174-bed hospital that was built in 1997 and resembles a resort-style facility. Florida Hospital Celebration Health is one facility.
Celebration hosts many events 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 on The Food Network), 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 large Independence Day fireworks celebration. The town events are organized on the Internet by the Community Calendar.[19]
Celebration has had one suspected murder and one apparent police-involved suicide in its history. On November 29, 2010, Matteo Patrick Giovanditto, a 58-year-old retired teacher who lived alone, was suspected of being slain over Thanksgiving weekend, Osceola County sheriff's deputies reported.[20] Later that same week, on December 2, 2010, Craig Foushee, 52, barricaded himself in a home for more than 14 hours and shot at deputies several times, but deputies never returned fire because they were unable to acquire a target. Deputies entered the home and found Foushee dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. The Osceola County Sheriff's Department said there was no connection between Foushee and Giovanditto, who was found slain in his condominium on November 30, 2010.[21] 28-year-old David-Israel Murillo, a homeless man arrested on December 5, has been charged in the murder of Matteo Giovanditto.[22]
School District of Osceola County, Florida operates public schools in Celebration.[23] Celebration is zoned to the Celebration School for K-8.[24] Celebration High School, located in the city, serves Celebration for grades 9–12.[25] There are private education options provided by the Montessori School of Celebration (K-8).[26] Private graduate education is available at Stetson University Celebration Campus.[27] There are free classes offered at the community center by clubs for cooking, gardening, art, writing, and technology.
The Osceola Library System operates the West Osceola Branch Library in Celebration.[28]
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