A plan that Netflix hopes will become New Jersey’s largest film production facility has taken a huge step forward as a pair of planning boards have greenlit lit the streaming giant’s initial portion of work at Fort Monmouth.
The past few weeks have been big ones for Netflix, who initially placed a bid to purchase the 289-acre Fort Monmouth site back in 2021. The streaming company ended up paying $55 million for the former Army base, which is situated just a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean.
The Netflix property is collectively known as the “Mega parcel” within the complex, which was formerly home to a research facility. The entirety of the company’s proposal is expected to include 12 sound stages totaling about 500,000 square feet that will create 1,500 permanent production jobs and more than 3,500 construction-related jobs.
The Fort Monmouth property is located in both Oceanport and Eatontown, meaning the Netflix proposal needs approval from both boroughs. Oceanport did their part by greenlighting their section during a December 7 meeting of their Planning Board and Eatontown has now moved their portion forward.
The initial portion of Netflix’s future production facility was drawn up by Red Bank-based Mancini Duffy and focuses on a 29-acre area known as the “McAfee zone.” The plan includes four soundstages, a storage building, an office space, a mill building, and what the plan refers to as the “McAfee Center” that will span over 91,000 square feet.
An existing bowling center that was first built in 1965 will be demolished to make way for a stormwater management system. That portion, located mostly in Eatontown, was approved during their Planning Board’s December 16 meeting.
“We are pleased that the Eatontown Planning Board sanctioned plans for Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth’s first phase, and we look forward to our continued collaboration with local officials and the community to bring this studio to life,” said Netflix in a statement.
The company must still secure approvals from the Monmouth County Planning Board, which would be the last major step remaining before construction can begin on the first phase.
A second larger application is expected to feature eight more soundstages and other studio facilities, a component both borough’s planning boards will still need to consider likely sometime next year.
The entirety of the Fort Monmouth Netflix facility would rank as the company’s second largest in the country if fully completed, ranking only behind their ABQ Studios property in New Mexico.
Fort Monmouth has been undergoing a transformation and repurposing since the army base closed in 2011. The complex, which dates to 1917, has seen several buildings that formerly housed officers converted into residential housing. Other developments including a commissary building have emerged in recent years.
