This clear shot of the Capitol will not become off-limits to film crews, after all. Photo by owash

Late Friday afternoon, Lydia DePillis reported on Housing Complex that in a move that is sure to relieve filmmakers and the District’s Office of Motion Picture and Television Development, the Senate’s sergeant-at-arms announced that Union Square will remain open to commercial cameras.

Union Square, located at the eastern end of the National Mall, includes the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, a favored vantage point for film productions looking for a direct shot of the Capitol, which itself is closed to non-news commercial film production. Union Square had previously been under the authority of the National Park Service, but a provision inserted into an omnibus spending bill passed by Congress in December transfered control over the 11-acre square to the Architect of the Capitol.

At the time, Crystal Palmer, who runs the D.C. film office, was worried the change of jurisdiction would curtail her ability to lure in film productions, an already difficult task considering the many layers of government anyone looking to shoot a movie here must navigate, to say nothing of the fact that unlike neighboring states, Palmer’s office has no financial incentives to offer.

“It would certainly affect our ability to service the industry,” she told DCist earlier this month. “And the Capitol is a major icon we promote. Are they going to make an exception?”

It appears they—”they” being a panel agencies that make the rules for the Capitol grounds—have made an exception. In an email to DePillis, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance Gainer wrote:

Two weeks ago, the Capitol Police Board, that is the Senate and House Sergeant at Arms, the Architect of the Capitol and the Chief of Police, met and agreed to continue for at least the next 90 days the existing policies and practices with respect to commercial photography, commercial filmmaking, and the use of tripods at Union Square. During that time, the Senate and House Sergeants at Arms will be consulting with our respective leaders to work toward making these practices permanent under the new jurisdictional arrangement. The initial response to our recommendation has been very positive.

Count Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, who took an interest in this matter, among those relieved by this decision. In a press release late Friday afternoon, Norton’s office said she is “absolutely delighted” with the waiving of the Capitol’s usual restrictions on commercial filming for Union Square.