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NORWALK, CT-The Connecticut Film Center has signed a lease for a "substantial portion" of 345 Ely Ave., a 122-000-sf warehouse building in South Norwalk. The building's primary use will to serve as sound stages and support facilities for the motion picture industry. Locally based Spinnaker Real Estate Partners LLC and the Connecticut Film Center in a joint venture acquired the former corporate headquarters of leather goods manufacturer Swank Inc. from TMC Ely LLC, a New York City-based firm, for $9.5 million.

The property had sat vacant for about three years ago when Swank relocated its corporate headquarters to Taunton, MA. The building was completed in 1974 and renovated in 2002. No financial details of the lease transaction were released.

Commenting on the deal at its newly acquired property, Clayton H. Fowler, founding partner of Spinnaker Real Estate Partners says, "I'm proud to help attract the motion picture industry to South Norwalk and look forward to a continuing and deep relationship with this new employment center in the city."