Lights, Camera, Bayonne!
The view down the main road which will be called Paseo.
Coming Soon: A Major Motion Picture Studio By Daniel Israel Renderings Courtesy of Gensler
T
he former roughly 2.2 million Texaco site, a vacant industrial slice of land at the southernmost tip of Bayonne, will see the empty lot of paved concrete be transformed into 1888 Studios by redeveloper Togus Urban Renewal, LLC and 1888 Studios, LLC. The planned studio has been described as “the largest ground-up film studio in North America.” What does that mean exactly? Well, the redeveloper is going to be constructing all of the 19 or 20 or so buildings and facilities it needs to operate the studio all at once. Historically, that is not something that does not really ever occur when building the structures for a film studio. Thus, this is not only a unique opportunity for the film industry, it is also a unique opportunity for Bayonne to return to its roots. While it may not be known for it, the city has a history with the film industry.
Centaur Film Company started in Bayonne The move to allow the construction of a motion picture studio is fitting, given that it was home to one of the earliest independent motion picture companies.
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In 1907, William and David Horsely established Centaur Film Company. It was the first motion picture company in America that was not controlled by Thomas Edison and his camera patents. Ironically, the studio’s name comes from the year Edison discovered the motion picture camera, an interesting choice given the history. In Bayonne, the Horsleys operated out of the studio for a few years. During that time, the studio was located on what is now Broadway, but back then was at 900 Avenue D. A few years after establishing Centaur Film Company, the Horselys ventured West. Soon, they became the first film producers to go to Hollywood in 1911, establishing West Coast operations under the Nestor Motion Picture Company. They filmed at both studios until 1912. That year, the Horselys ceased filming in Bayonne as Nestor Motion Picture Company merged with four other film companies to become Universal Picture Company.
A burgeoning industry headed to the city Since then, a number of television shows and movies have been filmed in the city, from War of the Worlds to the Equalizer. But now, many more are expected to be shot in the Peninsula
City, as the studio is sure to attract the industry to the city with its revolutionary new studio. The studio will also bring with it thousands of jobs. And with that, the redeveloper has promised to offer a job fair to allow Bayonne residents to get first dibs. Additionally, the 1888 Studios will work with the school district to establish apprenticeship programs with students. This is in major contrast to previous plans for the site, which called for up to 7,000 residential units as part of Kaplan Companies’ plans for the site. Mayor James Davis has touted his administration’s efforts to bring the film studio to fruition. “We are very proud that our City Administration worked successfully to get the studio complex approved,” Davis told Bayonne: Life on the Peninsula Magazine. “Bayonne will have thousands of new, high-paying union jobs, multimillion-dollar buildings, and a prestigious industry … It is most appropriate that Bayonne will be the home of a major new motion picture studio. Bayonne is one of the places where that industry first began.”
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