Movie studio coming to Port Washington

NEW YORK - It’s the news Carol Arnold, a Port Washington resident of 40 years, has been waiting for. After two years of public hearings and project revisions, a movie studio— with six stages— is coming to the neighborhood.

"This is a positive win-win. Low-impact traffic, high-impact productivity for our local businesses, which they sorely need with COVID and the shutdown of so many stores," said Arnold. 

This month, the Port Washington North Board of Trustees unanimously approved the site plan for a 50-foot-tall movie studio to be built on a lot, which has been vacant for about four years.

The studio was to be 65-feet-tall in the original proposal, which many residents objected to, saying the structure would be too tall for the Nassau County neighborhood.

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Mayor Bob Weitzner says the revised plan is a happy medium.

"In addition to the height being lowered, we also did a significant amount of landscaping in the surrounding areas that affected the local residents who are living adjacent to the property," said Weitzner. 

The site developer tells FOX 5 NY he’s planning to hire dozens of construction workers.

And each movie that’s made at the studio will bring other jobs.

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Many residents seem to now embrace Hollywood coming to town. 

"I think it’s a great idea. I like that it’s taking an abandoned building in a commercial district and building something I think the town will enjoy. It will bring a lot of commerce, a lot of jobs," one neighbor tells FOX 5 News. 

Construction is expected to start by June and could be completed by the fall of 2022.