![]() where Italian restaurant Ciao! recently opened, may take years to fill because it’s a bigger commitment than a space like 132A Washington St., where Taj Mediterranean opened recently. A location with more square footage, like 68 Washington St. The city of Norwalk doesn’t have a hand in filling vacant storefronts in SoNo, but Sabrina Godeski, the director of Business Development & Tourism for the city, said it’s easier for businesses to open in smaller locations than bigger spaces. (Scroll down to slide between before and after photos of South Norwalk businesses and landmarks to see the changing landscape). Currently, empty storefronts on the strip include the former locations of Affogato and Kaas & Co., among others. Meanwhile, Hell or High Water Brewpub opened in April 2017 and then abruptly closed months later. Beadworks, one of SoNo’s longest-standing businesses, closed last year after 35 years on Washington Street and the space remains vacant. The area is still a hub of activity for both visitors and residents as well as businesses - many of which come and go. And some things continue to change to this day.Ī photo of the SoNo Collection mall in June 2023 in Norwalk, Conn taken with a 3 second time lapse. The history of SoNo dates back to the 1700s, when ships came to the inner harbor to replenish their water stores from the “ Old Well.” The area has changed since then, swapping horse-drawn trolleys for Teslas and turning a former iron works factory into The Maritime Aquarium. So even if you live in an area where disruptive film productions are a dime a dozen, you can't get too mad about a street closure that's producing revenue for your hometown - even if you're above snapping pictures of the stars.For centuries, South Norwalk has beckoned people for food, entertainment and events. The production will also usually get some form of assistance from the police for traffic control. If the permit is issued, there's usually a protocol for notifying local businesses and residents that might be inconvenienced. ![]() Then the town or film office considers traffic patterns, time of day and how much disruption the production could cause. ![]() Either as part of the general filming permit or on a special form for street closures, the production must specify exactly when and where it would like to shut down a street. The permit process varies from location to location, but the basics are the same. The production's location scout finds the locations, and the location manager works with the city's government or film office to secure permits and nail down street closings and traffic management. Even if a town hasn't had much experience with movie crews, there's usually some kind of event-permitting process in place. When a movie production rolls into a town and wants to be able to shut down some streets, permission is obviously needed (unless they'd like to roll back out of town very quickly). Whatever it takes to make sure that filmmakers will continue to come back and spend money. Most cities and towns will bend over backward to accommodate movie productions, whether that means giving tax breaks, closing streets, providing police assistance or simplifying the permit process. Small towns jump at the chance of a cash infusion and also the excitement of being seen on the big screen. Larger cities that are accustomed to working with the film industry have offices that work to attract movie productions and also deal with the filmmakers while they're in the area. Movie productions pump a lot of cash into local economies. So how are film productions allowed to completely shut down sections of a town and disrupt the lives of innocent citizens? It's money, pure and simple.
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