Eatontown Assemblywomen Cheer Netflix Opening Ft. Monmouth Film Studio

EATONTOWN, NJ — This week, Assemblywomen Marilyn Piperno and Kim Eulner, who represent Eatontown in the state Legislature, applauded the Dec. 21 sale of 292 acres at Fort Monmouth to Netflix.

Piperno and Eulner, both Republicans who flipped two local Statehouse seats to red in 2021, praised the sale, saying this will bring film industry jobs to New Jersey. Gov. Phil Murphy strongly backs the deal as well, and he was the one who first wooed Netflix last year to come to New Jersey, criticizing Georgia's voter ID laws and saying voter ID should factor into film studios' decision to leave Georgia and make movies in New Jersey.

"We are thrilled that Netflix has chosen to open a studio in Eatontown, bringing with it new jobs and opportunities," said the two female lawmakers. "This is great news for the Eatontown community, as well as surrounding municipalities and Monmouth County, and will be a tremendous boost to our local economy."

Netflix said they plan to start filming movies and TV shows at Fort Monmouth in a few years' time; no filming will happen in 2023. But Netflix promises to build a state-of-art film studio campus at Fort Monmouth, plus 12 soundstages of various sizes.

On Dec. 21, the sale was officially approved by the powerful Fort Monmouth Economic Development Authority board, on which Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver sits, as does the heads of the NJ DEP and state Department of Transportation, plus the mayors of Eatonton, Tinton Falls and Oceanport.

The board agreed to sell 292 acres to Netflix for $55 million. Here are all the Board members who approved the sale: https://www.fortmonmouthnj.com...

Before Fort Monmouth was shut down by the U.S. Army, it had been Monmouth County's largest employer, providing more than 15,000 jobs. The base was formerly home to U.S. Army Military Academy Preparatory School and the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

It is estimated that the closure of Fort Monmouth was a $3.3 billion loss to the state economy, particularly hitting the towns of Eatontown and Tinton Falls especially hard.

The 292-acre Mega Parcel is speculated to provide at least 1,000 new jobs.

"Residents hope these effects will reach beyond Eatontown and neighboring communities, strengthening the entire region's financial well-being," said Piperno and Eulner. "With this massive investment comes the immense potential for Eatontown and all of Monmouth County, bringing with it good-paying jobs and making New Jersey a significant player in the entertainment industry."

Piperno and Eulner are the two Republican Assembly reps who, alongside Democrat state Sen. Vin Gopal, represent the following Monmouth County towns: Allenhurst, Asbury Park, Colts Neck, Deal, Eatontown, Freehold, Freehold Township, Interlaken, Loch Arbour, Long Branch, Neptune City, Neptune Township, Ocean Township, Red Bank, Shrewsbury Borough, Shrewsbury, Tinton Falls and West Long Branch.