A sprawling, long-vacant Sony plant in Pitman, New Jersey could soon give way to a $450 million film, television and recording studio district, under a proposal unveiled this week that developers say would also bring housing, a hotel and hundreds of jobs to the Gloucester County borough. The 76-acre site at 400 N. Woodbury-Glassboro Road has sat largely unused since it was sold in May 2013, and borough officials say the plan represents the most serious effort yet to put it back to work.
The proposal, from Americana Studios Holdings and Sewell-based SORA Northeast, was announced Monday, October 26, according to ROI-NJ. The outlet reports that SORA Northeast will oversee operations of the studio grounds once the project moves forward, and that the plan calls for a state-of-the-art studio complex built for television, film and recording work, alongside hospitality, dining, cultural attractions and public green space. Pitman Mayor Michael Razze told CBS News that a $450 million movie, television and production studio plan is now on the table, and that the proposal was introduced at Monday's Pitman council meeting.
Per the same CBS News account, the developer's master plan also includes a mixed-use village with housing, a hotel and commercial space, plus demolition of most of the existing Sony building. SORA developers describe their goal as creating a center for creativity and commerce that would complement Pitman's revitalized downtown. Razze called the proposal the most significant step forward for the property, though he cautioned that the project is far from a done deal.
A Site That's Sat Empty Since the CD Era
The Woodbury-Glassboro Road property has a long industrial history. According to the Courier Post, the site opened in 1960 as a CBS Records facility producing vinyl records before being converted to compact-disc production after Sony acquired the business in 1987. The property has been largely unused since it was sold in 2013, the newspaper reported. The location sits on Woodbury-Glassboro Road at Lambs Road, very close to Route 55, as 42Freeway notes.
That outlet, 42Freeway, reports that the current development team has an agreement in place with the property owner, though the transaction has not yet been completed. No development timeline has been announced, and the developer plans to finalize more project details after acquiring the property, per CBS News. The 76-acre redevelopment project carries an expected budget of $450 million, according to ROI-NJ.
Jobs and Local Economic Impact
The development team estimates the project would create more than 400 permanent jobs and another 400 temporary jobs, according to 42Freeway. The companies project the district would generate more than $150 million annually for the local economy, ROI-NJ reported. Longtime Pitman resident James Johnston, who has lived in the borough his entire life, told CBS News the project could help Pitman and surrounding towns.
Mayor Razze said the proposal has been sought for quite some time and that new families and current residents should have housing options in Pitman, according to CBS News. Mike Kraycik called the proposal a huge opportunity, adding that the development would be fantastic for local members given New Jersey's location and membership presence. CBS News reports that Americana Studios would offer an opportunity to 3,300 SAG-AFTRA members in the tri-state area, and that about half of the local SAG-AFTRA chapter's members are located in New Jersey.
Part of a Statewide Studio Boom — and Its Risks
The Pitman proposal arrives as New Jersey continues expanding its film infrastructure, bolstered by tax breaks the state offers to grow the entertainment industry. The state's Film & Digital Media Tax Credit Program provides a transferable credit against the corporation business tax and the gross income tax for qualifying production expenses incurred in New Jersey, according to the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission. The state reported that in-state filmmaking production spending reached $833 million in 2024, surpassing the previous record of $701 million in 2022, per the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.
Other studio projects around the state illustrate both the momentum and the uncertainty facing such ventures. In Newark's South Ward, Great Point Studios is building a planned $125 million, 300,000-square-foot film and television facility for Lionsgate to lease, while Bayonne's roughly 1.6 million-square-foot 1888 Studios development has secured Paramount as a major tenant, according to 42Freeway. Netflix, meanwhile, is investing $1 billion in Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth, a 292-acre hub planned to include 12 soundstages totaling nearly 500,000 square feet, the outlet reports.
Not every proposal has panned out. ACX1 Studios filed for bankruptcy in March after three years in business, according to NJ.com. The outlet also reported on a separate proposal, Atlantic Motion Pictures Studios, planned for a former industrial site in Egg Harbor City near Hamburg Avenue and Moss Mill Road, which officials there value at about $123 million and expect to support 50 to 100 jobs. ROI-NJ described the Pitman plan as the latest example of the television and film industry's emergence in New Jersey, though like the Pitman project, those comparable developments still face their own approval and construction hurdles before any cameras roll.
