A film studio under construction that will become the largest in the Northeast has been recognized for a major deal they struck last year as Bayonne has solidified itself as an emerging development hotspot.
1888 Studios recently received the 2026 Emerging Markets Deal of the Year award from NAIOP, the New Jersey chapter of the Commercial Real Estate Development Association. The award, presented at their 39th Annual Commercial Real Estate Awards Gala in Somerset, New Jersey, recognizes transactions that demonstrate exceptional creativity, complexity, and impact within New Jersey’s commercial real estate market.
Construction began last year on the project, which will transform 74 acres of land near the Bayonne Bridge into a 1.5-million-square-foot film production studio. President of Business Development, Flynn Busson, accepted the award on behalf of 1888 Studios and its partners.
“This award speaks to just how transformative 1888 Studios is, not only for New Jersey’s commercial real estate landscape, but for the future of film and television production in America,” said Busson. “We set out to build something the New Jersey market had never seen – a purpose-built campus of this scale, designed for movie makers by movie makers.”
The property, which had been a Texaco refinery that closed in the 1980’s, sits along the Kill Van Kull. Bayonne passed a rezoning plan for the land in 2020, and Jersey Digs was the first outlet to report on the studio plan back in 2022.
“The conversion of a long-dormant brownfield into the Northeast’s largest purpose-built production campus is a testament to the creativity and ambition of everyone involved in this public-private partnership,” said Dan Kennedy, CEO of NAIOP, The Commercial Real Estate Development Association – New Jersey Chapter. “NAIOP New Jersey is proud to recognize 1888 Studios as our 2026 Emerging Markets Deal of the Year, and we look forward to watching this project reshape the state’s economic and creative future for decades to come.”
1888 Studios will feature 23 studio soundstage buildings, complemented by attached office structures. The complex will include a post-production office and several mill buildings for the construction and storage of stages, along with a parking structure and surface spaces for 2,190 cars.
The construction phase is expected to create 2,300 union jobs, and once the facility is complete and operational, it is expected to create 2,000 union jobs. Film powerhouse Paramount, which is currently looking to acquire Warner Brothers, signed a 10-year agreement last year to be the facility’s primary tenant.
1888 Studios continues to engage additional tenants and industry partners for the upcoming space, further strengthening the campus’s role as a hub for innovation and creativity. It hopes to position New Jersey at the forefront of the global entertainment industry when it opens, with a launch anticipated sometime in 2027.
