Groundbreaking ceremony for 1888 Studios, new film and TV production campus, held in Bayonne, NJ
BAYONNE, New Jersey (WABC) — Officials in New Jersey held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday on the site of a sprawling future production facility for entertainment giant Paramount.
Films and TV shows will have a new home at the site of 1888 Studios in Bayonne, New Jersey.
It’s just the latest move by a major entertainment company hoping to take advantage of all the incentives offered by the Garden State. It’s even earned New Jersey the nickname “Hollywood East.”
“This is going to be one of the largest film and television studios in North America ever,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said. “Netflix in Monmouth County. We’ve got Lionsgate in the south ward of Newark. There’s a lot going on.”
Art deco drawings reveal what the new state-of-the-art production campus will look like, including a total of 23 small stages.
As to why it is called 1888 Studios — it’s named after the year that Thomas Edison patented the first moving images camera in New Jersey.
The lot stands next to water where it used to be all oil refineries. The 60-acre site is 18 feet higher than it would be because of much-added clean soil. Remediation efforts were completely previously, and now a brand new film and television studios will be here in the next two to three years.
Around the city, the new facility is big news. Some residents are concerned about impacts to rents. Others, including business owners, see the potential for opportunity.
“If we see Adam Sandler coming in, we’re looking forward to it. It’s going to bring new fresh faces to town,” said Anthony Ventrone of Luciano San Vito Restaurant.
Films are already shooting on the site because it is minutes from New York City, within the 25-mile union radius of Columbus Circle. New Jersey has set up 35-40% tax rebates for expenses and hiring.
Paramount has reportedly signed a 10-year lease.
“We think we get back about $7 in economic activity for every dollar that the state spends on an incentive program,” Murphy said.
Eyewitness News asked the governor how this collaboration came to be.
“At first it was, who are you and why are you here. And now we go out there, we were just out there last month, and we are, as I say, a globally significant player in this industry,” Murphy said.
The project is expected to bring more than 4,300 jobs, including at least 2,300 positions in construction and 2,000 other opportunities in operations surrounding the permanent studio grounds.
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