Vertical construction is underway on the Eatontown parcel of Netflix’s massive Fort Monmouth production studio, marking a new milestone in the project’s development.
The step comes nearly two months after crews celebrated the installation of the final structural beam on the last dual soundstage in the Oceanport portion.
Last week, the first of four dual-soundstage buildings started to go vertical, as a wall column was hoisted from a truck and welded into place, said Eatontown Mayor Anthony Talerico Jr.
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The streaming giant’s $1 billion production studio will house 12 soundstages spanning both Eatontown and Oceanport sides.
Talerico said construction company JT Magen had been preparing the Eatontown site for months, including demolition work and laying out the frames.
“It’s really exciting,” Talerico said. “They’re on schedule and they’re moving along.”
Meanwhile, redevelopment is underway on Vail Hall, a former communications hub built in 1952 on Avenue of Memories.
According to Talerico, the goal is to complete the core, shell and exterior of the building before winter. The interior is slated for completion by 2028.
Vail Hall, which will be located across the street from the studio’s main entrance, will serve as a welcome center for Netflix personnel supporting productions, according to Talerico.
Enhanced landscaping is being added around the building and on Rose Court, he said, adding that “it’s going to be beautiful.”
The Eatontown side will also feature a backlot resembling a neighborhood with a variety of houses that will be used for filming, as well as office space, according to Talerico.
Across the Eatontown and Oceanport properties, there will also be production buildings, a cafeteria, retail stores, a hotel, a theater, visitor attractions and other features.
The full studio is expected to be operational by 2028.
As construction progresses, Netflix is steadily growing its Fort Monmouth team. The studio is expected to create roughly 1,500 permanent jobs.
Eatontown resident Kara Kopach, the former executive director of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority, recently joined the company as director of studio operations.
Eatontown and Oceanport have each entered into PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreements with the streaming giant, allowing the boroughs to collect recurring, predictable revenue to fund projects such as infrastructure improvements.
Under the agreements, Netflix will pay Oceanport nearly $65 million over 30 years. Eatontown, meanwhile, structured an agreement to receive $47 million upfront in addition to rising payments over the next 30 years.
Netflix will also provide $5 million to Eatontown and $3 million to Oceanport in community benefits funding tied to its agreement with the Aspire program, a state tax credit program. The funding could be used for initiatives such as training, youth development and services for underserved communities.
Over 20 years, the studio is anticipated to pour between $3.8 billion and $4.6 billion into the state’s economy.
Local officials have said that Netflix’s filling of a long-standing vacancy left by the 2011 closure of Fort Monmouth will positively impact Eatontown and Oceanport by boosting small businesses, increasing property values, and bringing an influx of jobs.
Netflix closed on the nearly 300-acre property for $55 million in December 2025. The company is slated to invest nearly $1 billion in the project.