Page 12 - RE-NJ

10 WINTER 2025
THE
BRIEFING
PARAMOUNT TO ANCHOR
BAYONNE’S 1888 STUDIOS CAMPUS
The massive 1888 Studios project in
Bayonne has signed a landmark deal
with Paramount, the iconic media
and entertainment company, securing
an anchor tenant for the campus and
further cementing New Jersey as a
destination for fi lm and television
production.
announcement, the studio has
committed to occupy more than
285,000 square feet at the 1.6 million-
square-foot complex just west of the
Bayonne Bridge. The minimum 10-
year lease agreement with developer
Togus Urban Renewal LLC will allow
Paramount, a Skydance Corp., to
create a major production hub that
According to a late October
Rendering courtesy: Gensler
Plans for 1888 Studios, a project by Togus Urban Renewal LLC, call for 1.5 million square
feet of fi lm and television production space and support facilities across 58 acres on the
Bayonne waterfront.
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will leverage New Jersey’s crucial
tax incentive program for fi lm and
television shoots.
Currently under development, 1888
Studios is set to become the largest
campus-style production facility in the
Northeast and one of the largest in the
nation. Plans for the Gensler-designed,
58-acre facility call for more than
1.1 million square feet of production
space spanning 23 smart sound stages
with a minimum of 40-foot clear
ceiling heights, along with production
support space, fl exible post-
production space, offi ces, mills, base
camp and backlot as well as lighting
and grip facilities to accommodate
every phase of production.
“Scaling our production and expanding
our slate of world-class entertainment
is central to our long-term strategy,”
said Andy Gordon, chief strategy
offi cer and chief operating offi cer
for Paramount.
“We’re thrilled
to invest in the
United States
and in the region
and lean into
our creative
momentum to
spark economic
Andy Gordon
growth. We’re
deeply grateful for the support and
partnership of Governor Murphy,
Senator Raj Mukherji, the New Jersey
Economic Development Authority and
1888 Studios.
“Thanks to highly competitive tax
credit programs like New Jersey’s,
the tristate area is more attractive
than ever before for production as we
work together to create new jobs and
empower more domestic production
for America’s creative workforce.”
The announcement noted that,
through the state’s Film and Digital
Media Tax Credit program, 1888
Studios offers tenants incentives
comparable to other leading
production hubs worldwide. Offi cials
expanded those offerings in 2025,
allowing the Economic Development
Authority to designate three studio
partners and three fi lm-lease partner
facilities that are each linked to large-
scale infrastructure commitments.
“With 1888 Studios, we set out to build
a cutting-edge facility that would
attract the world’s most ambitious
storytellers — giving New Jersey true
scale and a home for every facet of
fi lm and television production under
one roof,” said Arpad “Arki” Busson,
chairman of Togus Urban Renewal.
“By keeping American productions
at home, the project, which will
be constructed by union workers,
will generate thousands of jobs and
additional opportunities for New
Jersey’s small businesses.
“I am grateful to Paramount’s
leadership and entire team for
recognizing the unique opportunity
that 1888 Studios and New Jersey
present for future productions.
Paramount’s commitment underscores
the caliber of our campus, the strategic
advantages of our Bayonne location
and the impact of Governor Phil
Murphy’s leadership in establishing
industry-leading tax incentives and
promoting infrastructure that have
enabled New Jersey’s entertainment
industry to thrive and enshrine the
state as a true cornerstone of global
production.”
The deal is another signature feat
for Murphy, who has shepherded the
sector’s explosive growth in the state
and is credited with attracting Netfl ix,
which is building a 1.2 million-square-
foot studio campus at Fort Monmouth.
“Paramount’s expansion into New
Jersey, utilizing 1888 Studios’ large-
scale, full-service production campus
in Bayonne, refl ects the incredible
momentum of our state’s creative
sector, solidifying our reputation
as a global powerhouse in the
entertainment industry,” Murphy said.
“By attracting world-class studios and
productions,
we are not
only creating
high-quality
jobs, promoting
infrastructure
and driving
economic
growth, but are
Phil Murphy
also investing
in our communities and elevating
New Jersey as a national leader in
entertainment.”
The developer noted that 1888 Studios,
named after the year Thomas Edison
patented the motion fi lm camera,
will evoke the imagery of Golden
Age Hollywood while providing
cutting-edge infrastructure, proximity
to Manhattan, access to a deep
and experienced regional industry
workforce and some of the world’s
most attractive fi lm, television and
post-production tax incentives.
Busson was effusive in his praise of
the governor and First Lady Tammy
Murphy, as well as Mukherji, Bayonne
Mayor Jimmy Davis, Assemblywoman
Eliana Pintor Marin, Laborers’
International Union of North America
Vice President and Eastern Regional
Manager Mike Hellstrom and the EDA
team led by CEO Tim Sullivan.