Netflix sets the scene with $903M studio plan for Fort Monmouth

Netflix sets the scene with $903M studio plan for ex-military base Bidding for “mega parcel,” streaming service envisions massive facility to anchor its East Coast productions.

Netflix unveiled plans last week for an investment of $903 million in a production facility at the former Fort Monmouth in New Jersey that would serve as a central point in the streaming entertainment giant’s East Coast operations.

Netflix emerged in October as the top bidder among four seeking to acquire a 289-acre “mega parcel” that covers about a quarter of the longtime U.S. Army base, which closed in 2011.

The company disclosed the bid amount on Wednesday as $55 million with an additional $850 million planned to construct a massive state-of-the-art Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth facility. Renderings show multistory production stage buildings and offices tucked behind the familiar Fort Monmouth archways.

“This will be among our largest, kind of on a par with our 300-acre facility in Albuquerque,” Netflix’s director of content and studio affairs Rajiv Dalal told NJ Advance Media in an interview.

“We’re super-excited about moving one step closer to actually making this is a reality,” said Dalal, a North Caldwell native.

Netflix estimates that, during construction, the project would generate up to 3,500 jobs. Once the facility is operational — Netflix did not provide a targeted opening date — it would provide from 1,400 to 2,200 jobs, a Netflix spokesperson said.

“Economic impact is a key driver of why we felt our proposal was best in class. We’re looking at jobs, jobs, jobs,” Dalal said.

The Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority was expected to consider the bid and plans when it met at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

The proposed Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth would be the company’s main East Coast production hub.

“You’re going to have many, many titles that are made in New Jersey and seen by the rest of the world,” Dalal said.

A Netflix spokesperson said the San Francisco-based, streaming service and production company has had a positive experience filming in New Jersey, including scenes in Atlantic City for “Army of the Dead,” a zombie heist movie released in 2021.

“New Jersey has top-notch crews and talent, and a vibrant creative sector, which we intend to tap into and further enrich,” the company spokesperson said.

Approval by the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority, which is overseeing redevelopment of the base, would be a key first step in the process. Netflix would still need various approvals from local, county and state officials, including Gov. Phil Murphy, who has veto power over the authority.

Murphy’s administration, in October, issued a supportive but noncommittal statement, upon the prior announcement that Netflix was among the four bidders. The others are Extell Acquisitions LLC, Mega Parcel Development LLC and RDR Partners LLC, which includes three other LLC’s, Russo Development, Dinallo Development and River Development.

“Governor Murphy is delighted to hear that Netflix is interested in establishing a serious presence in New Jersey,” his office said at the time. “He looks forward to working with them and the rest of the industry to create good-paying jobs and spur economic growth throughout the state.”

The proposed Netflix facility would provide a backdrop for TV series and films and serve as a tourism draw, the company said.

The Netflix proposal would not impact parts of the base scheduled for preservation, such as Fort Monmouth’s parade grounds, World War II Memorial and Cowan Park.

“Those will stay open to the community,” Dalal said. “We’re going to do screenings in the park in the summer.”

The spokesperson estimated that the value to the New Jersey economy over a 20-year period, as a direct result of construction and production activity, would be between $3.8 billion and $4.6 billion.

Netflix also would bring in training programs for workforce development.

Dalal said that a substantial part of the $850 million cost will involve tearing down buildings and site remediation, factors that are typically part of transforming a former military base.

Two Netflix productions that debuted this fall involved New Jersey but were produced elsewhere.

Netflix’s “The Watcher,” based on the enduring mystery about a series of letters from an anonymous stranger targeting the new owners of a Westfield home, was produced in Rye, New York.

“The Good Nurse” is about a nurse from New Jersey, Charles Cullen, who pleaded guilty to killing at least 29 people from 1988 to 2003 while working at hospitals in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

-Ryan Skove