[HN Gopher] Netflix to open $900M facility at former Fort Monmou...
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       Netflix to open $900M facility at former Fort Monmouth Army base in
       New Jersey
        
       Author : walterbell
       Score  : 68 points
       Date   : 2023-01-15 16:43 UTC (6 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.foxbusiness.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.foxbusiness.com)
        
       | crawsome wrote:
       | I can't wait until the jobs are posted up. I wouldn't mind the
       | corporate climate for a couple years.
        
       | KoftaBob wrote:
       | Primary source: https://about.netflix.com/en/news/governor-
       | murphy-and-netfli...
        
       | samwillis wrote:
       | This seems like a fairly obvious move, reduce production cost
       | through vertical integration. Hopefully it translates to better
       | content, and opening up to new talent. Only a few years ago
       | Netflix was notorious for being the place where new talent could
       | get a production made, but increasingly they have moved to just
       | churning out content made by their established partners.
       | 
       | I wander how long it will be until they open a theme park,
       | "Netflix World"...
       | 
       | I think this is roughly where the lot is:
       | https://maps.app.goo.gl/E8dzQLPwGH7MdesU8?g_st=ic
       | 
       | The old base extends nearly 2 miles from that point to the right,
       | plenty of space for a theme park...
        
         | MonkeyMalarky wrote:
         | I'm not so sure vertical integration will lead to better
         | content . A lot of their shows have a distinct "Netflix" look
         | and feel to them, from the writing to the production. I see it
         | just getting more homogenized.
        
           | scyzoryk_xyz wrote:
           | They're also somewhat successful at keeping people paying
           | around the world.
           | 
           | It's not about creating masterpieces. It's about maintaining
           | consistent production pipelines at scale. This is really a
           | return to the 30's 40's style Hollywood studio system.
           | 
           | Also makes sense to be making investments like this when
           | selling advertisers on that new ad streaming tier. You want
           | to send a message that you will be reliable in the long term.
        
         | konfusinomicon wrote:
         | I can't wait for all the exciting mediocrity and over priced
         | food that netflix world will offer. the comedians in cars
         | getting coffee roller coaster is gonna be intense
        
       | woodruffw wrote:
       | I wonder if/how they'll attract people to live there: Monmouth is
       | _very_ close to NYC (under 20 miles from lower Manhattan by
       | boat), but the only transit is NJT. I'm not sure if there's ever
       | been plans to add ferry service to the area.
       | 
       | Either way, seems like a good use of an old base!
        
         | sklargh wrote:
         | I'd be somewhat surprised if Netflix didn't establish a private
         | shuttle from the Highlands Ferry to Fort Monmouth.
        
         | roflyear wrote:
         | It's a smart move. Lots of tech talent has moved to that area
         | during COVID.
        
         | [deleted]
        
       | cj wrote:
       | For perspective, Netflix spent $18 billion on content production
       | in 2022 and $17 billion the year prior. [0]
       | 
       | Looks like Netflix's largest production location is 300 acres in
       | New Mexico (slightly larger than this new location).
       | 
       | Interesting that they chose the tristate area which, in general,
       | tends to be more expensive than places like New Mexico
       | (construction, wages, cost of living, etc).
       | 
       | [0] https://www.statista.com/statistics/964789/netflix-
       | content-s...
        
         | thefounder wrote:
         | So much money and energy spent for a lot of junk content
        
         | orange_joe wrote:
         | Presumably there is stronger talent in NJ given the existing tv
         | productions in the state. It's not all a race to the bottom,
         | particularly in industries with outsider winners.
        
         | keiferski wrote:
         | Probably a lot cheaper to transport film talent and equipment
         | to NJ than New Mexico.
        
       | recycledmatt wrote:
       | This is right next to the wife's hometown. People are very
       | excited. The nearby Monmouth Racetrack has been in decline for a
       | long time, and it has impacted local tax revenue. Only getting
       | worse with online sports betting.
       | 
       | Already there is a brewery and some other restaurants going in on
       | the base. The base is huge - this is just a small portion of the
       | development happening.
        
       | JoeDaDude wrote:
       | Swords to plowshares? I used to work there as a contractor a long
       | time ago. Another place I worked at, the Naval Air Development
       | Center in Pennsylvania, was also closed. The human centrifuge
       | became a disco. Both military bases are now devoted to
       | entertainment.
       | 
       | https://rentthefuge.com/
        
       | chrisrohlf wrote:
       | I used to work at this location when it was an active military
       | base. The Army Signal corps made movies there long before
       | Netflix. As a local resident its nice to see some reinvestment in
       | the base a full 12~ years since BRAC was finalized and the gates
       | closed for good. It's a beautiful campus with proximity to the
       | ocean and NYC. I do wonder what lies beneath that soil though...
       | 
       | https://tworivertimes.com/move-over-netflix-the-army-signal-...
        
       | kyleee wrote:
       | What's the environmental status of the base? I'd bet it would
       | qualify as a superfund site and am curious to know what type of
       | testing has been done by Netflix and parties involved in the sale
        
       | systems_glitch wrote:
       | Right next door to InfoAge Science Center at the old Camp Evans
       | Army signal corps lab and radio installation!
        
         | chrisrohlf wrote:
         | Most people have no idea this exists or any of the historic
         | events and scientific achievements that happened at these
         | locations or in the near by area such as the Horn Antenna or
         | Radio Astronomy at the old Bell Labs site in Holmdel.
        
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       (page generated 2023-01-15 23:01 UTC)