Netflix is officially going Jersey. The streaming giant will break ground this week on a $903 million production complex at Fort Monmouth—a sprawling 289-acre former Army base on the Jersey Shore—as it ramps up its push to turn the Garden State into the next great East Coast production hub.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, who’s made film and TV tax credits a centerpiece of his economic strategy, is expected to attend a private groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday alongside Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos. The studio, backed by state and local leaders, is being hailed as a generational project—one that could transform New Jersey into what officials are calling “Hollywood East.”

What’s Being Built

Netflix’s campus is enormous, even by studio standards. Once complete, it will house:

• 12 soundstages totaling nearly 500,000 square feet

• Production offices

• A helipad

• Water tanks

• A theater, hotel, trailer parks, and retail

• A visitor experience center and café

Construction will unfold in two phases over the next eight years, beginning with the 29-acre McAfee Zone in Oceanport, where Netflix will build four soundstages and the core infrastructure for cast and crew. The remaining eight stages will go through planning board review in August as part of phase two.

What’s At Stake

This isn’t just a real estate play—it’s a strategic bet on the long-term economics of content. Netflix says the project will:

• Create 3,500 construction jobs

• Employ 1,400 full-time staff when operational

• Inject up to $4.6 billion into the New Jersey economy over 20 years

And the state is helping sweeten the deal. Netflix will have access to a $150 million tax incentive pool, and may qualify for up to a 40% tax credit, as long as it operates the studio for at least 10 years under New Jersey’s updated production incentive program.

Why It Matters

While Hollywood braces for Trump’s proposed 120% tariffs on foreign-made content, states like California and New York are working overtime to retain productions through expanded local incentives. But New Jersey is quietly pulling ahead. Netflix’s investment—alongside Lionsgate’s Newark studio and 1888 Studios in Bayonne—cements the Garden State as a legitimate rival to LA, Atlanta, and New York.

This project also marks a new chapter for Fort Monmouth, once a tech hub for the U.S. Army and the birthplace of FM radio. Abandoned for over a decade, the base will now become a cinematic powerhouse.

What’s Next

Netflix hasn’t announced a target open date, but under the current agreement, both phases must be completed within eight years. The studio will be one of the largest purpose-built facilities on the East Coast.