A massive $900 million film and television studio project is quietly reshaping the landscape of Bayonne, New Jersey. Once home to a Texaco oil refinery, this 60-acre waterfront plot is now the future site of 1888 Studios—a 1.5 million-square-foot creative campus spanning 17 buildings. Spearheaded by developer Togus Urban Renewal and built by Turner Construction, this is reportedly the largest purpose-built film studio project in the U.S.
The name “1888” isn’t arbitrary. That was the year Thomas Edison invented the motion picture camera—a nod to both cinematic heritage and the beginning of a new chapter for East Coast film production. It’s a poetic detail that captures the studio’s ambition to honor the past while helping shape the industry’s future.
Located at the southwest tip of Bayonne’s Bergen Point, the site is both symbolically and physically being raised—literally. Because the area sits on low ground prone to flooding, Turner will elevate the entire plot to ensure long-term resiliency. “We’re thrilled to help transform this long-neglected part of the Bayonne waterfront,” said Larry Boresen, Vice President and General Manager at Turner. “Beyond the economic uplift, I can’t wait to see the creative work that will be produced here.”
Turner plans to break ground in early 2023 and will employ more than 2,000 union construction workers during the build. Once complete, the studio is expected to generate 2,000 to 3,000 full-time jobs—a significant win for local employment and a boost for New Jersey’s burgeoning media landscape.
In contrast to Robert De Niro’s Wildflower Studios project in Astoria, Queens—which faced criticism for not fully utilizing union labor—1888 Studios is committed to 100% union workers, earning praise from industry insiders and labor groups alike. It's a decision that could set a new standard for film studio developments nationwide.
The project is part of a broader trend: the East Coast is fast becoming a serious contender in the film and TV production world. New Jersey’s own Great Point Studios—a $125 million, 300,000-square-foot complex in Newark—is slated for completion in 2024. Together with 1888 Studios, these facilities reflect a growing confidence in the region’s ability to support high-end productions.
For people like Sam, an indie filmmaker currently based in a cramped Brooklyn loft studio, the arrival of 1888 Studios offers new hope. “I’ve been dreaming of a space with real infrastructure and room to breathe,” he said. “Being just across the river from Manhattan but having the space of a proper campus—it’s a game changer.”
And it's not just filmmakers who are excited. Longtime Bayonne resident Mary, a retired schoolteacher, recalls how the area was once riddled with abandoned warehouses and industrial blight. “Now they’re talking about movies being shot here,” she said, shaking her head with a smile. “It’s like something out of a dream.”
Indeed, what was once a polluted industrial relic is being reborn as a hub for creativity and innovation. The project isn’t just about building soundstages and office space—it’s about reimagining an entire neighborhood. With Turner’s expertise and Togus’s vision, Bayonne could soon find itself in the opening credits of the next great American film.
And don’t be surprised if, a few years from now, you’re watching a hurricane tear through a gritty East Coast skyline in a big-budget drama—only to find out it was shot not in New York, but right here on this very plot of reinvented ground. Behind the scenes, it’s not just actors and directors making movie magic, but construction crews, engineers, union workers, and everyday residents who helped turn a forgotten site into Hollywood on the Hudson.