Netflix’s Studio Expansion Displaces Over a Century of WWII Memorials in New Jersey
Netflix’s proposal to turn Fort Monmouth Army Base into a massive production center is shifting drastically. More than 100 World War II memorials honoring U.S. Army Signal Corps soldiers on the Avenue of Memories are being moved to make place for new studio project road renovations.
The Avenue of Memories, which borders Netflix’s Oceanport site, features 117 monuments to World War II dead. To handle traffic from Netflix’s expansion, the avenue must be enlarged, its sidewalks restored, and a center turn lane created. County officials have began gently moving the memorials to Cowan Park, which has a flagpole and commemorative trees.
Local officials promise to appreciate and preserve each piece during the move. The decision is a compromise to honor veterans and strengthen studio infrastructure, they argue. Relocation should take several weeks. The new memorial location will be rededicated after completion.
Netflix’s Fort Monmouth reconstruction is a groundbreaking East Coast film infrastructure project. The $900 million initiative wants to turn the former military post into a studio campus with soundstages, offices, crew facilities, visitor amenities, and more. Officials expect the project to create thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent ones, as well as significant economic benefits over decades.
This studio work builds on local authorization for the first phase, allowing building to begin soon. Redevelopment plans include various building phases, signage, traffic mitigation studies, and architectural design for almost 300 acres in Oceanport and Eatontown. Local traffic, signpost size, and community impact have been considered by authorities.
Fort Monmouth has a rich history. The World War I-founded base later became vital to U.S. military communications and technology activities, including FM radio. After its demise, the site sat idle until Netflix bought the core piece for redesign.
Community residents and military descendants will watch the project’s balance between expansion and commemoration. The memorials’ relocation highlights the physical and symbolic conflicts between growth and history.
Sources
AP News
Patch News
Netflix press statement
Wikipedia
