Downtown Stamford’s long-lost family stores come to life in new documentary (as seen in today’s Stamford Advocate)

Here is a recent blog post about one of Marge’s videography classes this summer.

What was lost and what was gained
…While the first three acts of the documentary reflect on the day-to-day operations of each of the shops, the second half tries to tackle one of the most complicated marks on Stamford’s history: urban renewal.
When Stamford rebuilt itself through the late 1960s and 1970s, it cleared the way for corporate headquarters by razing large parts of the old Downtown. The little stores became fertile ground for new buildings like Stamford Town Center.

Joel Freedman, who served as general counsel for the Urban Redevelopment Commission, estimated in the documentary that Stamford acquired about 300 properties through sales between owners and the city. Between 50 and 100 more, he said, were clawed from proprietors using eminent domain.
Not every family store featured in the documentary faced the bulldozer directly — some even appreciated urban redevelopment because it brought on new business opportunities — but all agreed that the project indelibly changed the feeling of the neighborhood.