Netflix’s plans to build a $903 million production studio complex at the former Fort Monmouth army base got a key approval from a local board Tuesday.

The Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority board, the governing body that oversees the fort, unanimously approved an amendment to establish zoning for the massive project.

The vote allows the streaming service and entertainment company to move ahead with getting other local approvals to build the planned studio complex. It also allows affordable housing units currently located at the fort to be relocated to a different location on the site, a spokesperson for the board said Thursday.

On Wednesday, a source close to Netflix said the company is pleased with the decision and is looking forward to engaging with the community further throughout the process.

The Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority board has 10 members, including a representative of the governor, the Monmouth County commissioner, the mayors of Eatontown, Oceanport and Tinton Falls and three state agency commissioners.

Netflix was the top bidder to acquire the 292-acre “mega parcel” in 2022. The property covers about a quarter of U.S. Army base that closed in 2011.

The sprawling Netflix complex would include 12 soundstages, totaling nearly 500,000 square feet, adjacent to Route 35 in Eatontown and Oceanport in Monmouth County, according to the San Francisco-based entertainment company.

This week’s zoning plan approval is one of the first steps in a complex process to get local officials to sign off on the project. The Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority staff also need to review the site plans for the complex before the proposal goes to the planning boards in Eatontown and Oceanport, officials said.

Netflix is expected to contribute $848 million in capital investments to the studio project. In addition to the 12 soundstages, the complex is slated to include a hotel, a helicopter pad, office buildings and visitor attractions.

In December 2022, Gov. Phil Murphy gave his stamp of approval at a conference with Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos. Murphy said the production studios will help turn New Jersey into the “Hollywood of the East Coast.”

Wednesday’s vote came after a 45-day comment period that allowed local residents and officials from Monmouth County to voice their concerns and offer suggestions.

In a written comment submitted to the board last month, Oceanport Mayor John Coffey asked for more details about the project, including when, where and how the development is going to take place.

“If we had answers to these questions sooner, rather than later, I believe a great number of the concerns and misgivings that people have about Netflix and the development of the Mega-Parcel would be put to rest,” Coffey wrote.

The Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority board acknowledged the mayor’s concerns, but said it was outside the scope of the zoning amendment it voted on this week.

Others questioned the potential negative economic and environmental impacts of the large studio complex, according to minutes of the meeting. The local planning boards will have the opportunity to evaluate concerns about environmentally sensitive areas on the site, officials said in meeting documents.

If development of the Netflix project moves forward, Fort Monmouth’s historic parade grounds, World War II Memorial and Cowan Park will be preserved and unaffected by the construction, local officials said.

The closure of the Fort Monmouth military base caused a loss of thousands of jobs and left close to 1,200 acres of land unused, according to officials.

The planned Netflix motion picture and television studios will further help revitalize the area and bring more than 3,500 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent production jobs, officials said.