Disney’s iconic New York headquarters on 66th Street is facing a rather unusual predicament. The House of Mouse’s East Coast outpost has been taken over by an infestation – of mice. In an urgent email sent to the staff on Monday, it was revealed that the 5th floor of the building had become overrun with these squeaky intruders, along with a troupe of fleas. The email, obtained by Page Six, instructed employees to evacuate the premises immediately.
The email conveyed that the pest issue on the 5th floor of 77 W. 66th St. had been persisting. The risk management and facilities teams were already aware and working swiftly to address the problem. Consequently, the staff was prohibited from working on the 5th floor with immediate effect. The message concluded with a weary note of gratitude for the staff’s notifications about the situation.
To facilitate the eradication process, employees were encouraged to collect their essential belongings from their desks by 5 pm that day. Afterward, they were given the option to either work from home or request relocation to another area within the building. However, specific details about the timeline for returning to the 5th floor were yet to be communicated to the affected staff members.
The infestation primarily affected the area used by Disney’s advertising department. This section of the larger Lincoln Center-based complex has housed ABC since the 1980s, and Disney joined when it acquired the news network in 1995. While Disney sold its Upper West Side properties, including 77W, to Silverstein in 2018, it continues to rent these spaces until their new facility in Hudson Square is constructed.
An inside source remarked that the impending demolition of the current Disney/ABC buildings and the subsequent construction of high-rises may have contributed to the lack of upkeep. The source suggested that the maintenance of the premises has not been a priority, with the elevators often out of order and causing considerable inconvenience. However, this might just be yet another challenge faced by the unpredictable show business industry.
Despite several attempts to reach out to Disney for comment, representatives for the company have remained silent on the issue.
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