Lennar CEO Joe L. Smith said on Wednesday that the company will construct a 275‑unit residential and retail complex called The Premiere at Monmouth on the 30‑acre former Fort Monmouth Howard Commons site in Eatontown, New Jersey. The project will include single‑family homes, townhomes, condominiums, a grocery store, convenience store, gas station and a public park.
Howard Commons once housed hundreds of military families during Fort Monmouth’s operational years. Since the base closed in 2006, the vacant buildings fell into disrepair and became a blight on Pinebrook Road, a symptom of stalled redevelopment in the region.
The development comes under an agreement between the Eatontown borough and Lennar, facilitated by the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority. The Authority said the partnership aims to repurpose the neglected complex into a vibrant, mixed‑use neighborhood that meets contemporary housing needs.
Netflix’s $1 billion Studios East project, which broke ground in 2025, will occupy 292 acres of the former military installation and feature 12 sound stages covering nearly 500,000 square feet. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings told a local news outlet that the studio will create 3,000 jobs and attract ancillary businesses by 2028.
The Premiere’s proximity—just a ten‑minute drive from the planned studio campus—positions it as an attractive option for buyers seeking residence near future employment opportunities. Recent sales data show a five‑bedroom home in nearby Little Silver sold for $2.6 million, 24 % above the asking price, illustrating heightened demand in the area.
Construction is slated to begin in July, with the first sales appointments scheduled for late autumn. The project’s success will hinge on local housing demand, infrastructure upgrades and the full realization of Netflix’s production hub.
A local resident, Mary Thompson, expressed optimism that the new retail and green spaces will provide her children with safer play areas and more community services.