New Jersey governor Phil Murphy and Netflix have reached a deal that will allow the company to redevelop a 292-acre parcel in Oceanport into a sprawling production campus. Located along Route 35, the property was formerly operated by the United States Army as the Fort Monmouth County defense post, and officially decommissioned between 2011 and 2012.
When complete, the production campus will include 12 new sound stage buildings totaling nearly 500,000 square feet. Some of the existing Fort Monmouth buildings will be repurposed for production-related services, including mill space, studio backlots, and dining spaces, among a myriad of facilities typically found on a Class A production campus.
“We’re thrilled to continue and expand our significant investment in New Jersey and North America,” said Ted Sarandos, Netflix co-CEO and chief content officer. “We believe a Netflix studio can boost the local and state economy with thousands of new jobs and billions in economic output, while sparking a vibrant production ecosystem in New Jersey. We look forward to working with governor Murphy, his administration, and local leaders to finalize this deal in the months ahead.”
Netflix was one of four applicants that submitted proposals in response to a request for offers to purchase issued by the Board of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority in March 2022. The contract specifies a $55 million payment for the parcel, including a $5 million utility contribution and $3 million office relocation fee paid to the authority.
Total project costs are estimated at approximately $848 million.
“This transformative investment will serve as a cornerstone in our efforts to create a thriving industry from whole cloth,” said governor Murphy. “As a result of nearly a billion dollars in film production spending, New Jersey will further solidify its status as an emerging national leader in the television and film industries.”
According to Netflix, the development will create more than 3,500 construction-related jobs and more than 1,500 permanent production jobs when the studio is in operation. Governor Murphy is optimistic that the project will also stimulate the development of new housing, hotels, and ancillary businesses in the surrounding area.
Netflix has not confirmed a construction timeline for the project, nor an anticipated date of completion.
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Just what the world needs…more “content” to devour our free time.
Well, large tracts of land aren’t easy to come by, but it’s a shame New York couldn’t find an option for this new industry instead of it going way out in the suburbs of Jersey.
New York is too expensive, and no space. You need huge area for sound stages. It would be cost prohibitive. This is not that far from NYC. They got 292 acres and tons of buildings for 55 million.
It will be interesting to see if the NJT station becomes full service now instead of just seasonal for the track.