General contractor JT Magen staffers at the Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth topping-off ceremony. (Credit: Russ Meseroll for Netflix)

Netflix has celebrated the installation of the final structural beam on Stages 3 and 4 at its Studios Fort Monmouth. The topping-off ceremony brought together Kenneth Falcon, Netflix Director of Enterprise Operations; Vincent Ryan, MRICS, Executive Vice President at JT Magen; and Michael Connaughton, Project Manager at JT Magen, along with the subcontractors, as the company has claimed in a statement.

Falcon, Ryan, and Connaughton each gave remarks to an audience of project partners and construction crews, thanking them for their work and looking ahead to what’s next.

This “milestone” marks visible progress in transforming the former Army installation into a world-class production facility.Last year, they completed the purchase of the more than 292-acre site, situated along Route 35, Avenue of Memories, and Oceanport Avenue in Eatontown and Oceanport.

Since then, the campus has been a hub of ongoing construction. To date, the project has diverted roughly 80% of construction waste from landfills, more than 55,000 tons.

When complete, the campus will feature 12 soundstages totaling nearly 500,000 square feet, along with supporting production facilities and community amenities. “We plan to invest approximately $1 billion in the project overall, with Phase 1A targeted for completion in summer 2027 and Phase 1B in fall 2028”, as the company affirms.

While construction continues at Fort Monmouth, crews and talent are already powering productions across the Garden State. They’ve filmed more than 20 titles in New Jersey, including ‘Office Romance’ (which dubbed New Jersey “the most beautiful place on Earth”), ‘Big Mistakes’, ‘The RIP’, ‘A House of Dynamite’, ‘The Beast in Me’, and ‘Happy Gilmore 2′, as well as upcoming films like ’72 Hours’, ‘The Whisper Man’, ‘Here Comes the Flood’, ‘The 99’ers’, and ‘Little Brother’, which debuts on Netflix June 26.

The development is expected to create nearly 4,000 construction jobs. “We’re also investing in the state’s long-term film and television workforce through partnerships with IATSE Local 798 and IATSE Local 600, programs that prepare New Jersey residents for careers spanning on-set crafts, crew roles, and production office support”, they add.

“We’re thankful to our public and community partners, including Governor Mikie Sherrill and her administration, the NJ Economic Development Authority, the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority, Senators Gopal and O’Scanlon, Director Arnone, and the Monmouth County Board of Commissioners, Oceanport Mayor Thomas J. Tvrdik, and Eatontown Mayor Anthony Talerico”, the company states.