The Huntington Theatre is about to break ground on a new glass-walled East Wing along Huntington Avenue, with construction set to begin in fall 2026 on the second phase of a major renovation that has been years in the making. The addition will give the historic Boston theater company two new floors of public space connected to its landmark mainstage at 256-264 Huntington Ave, featuring a lobby, performance space, hospitality areas and a support kitchen behind an entirely glass facade on the first two levels.
As reported by NBC Boston, the East Wing marks the second phase of the ongoing overhaul at the Huntington, following work that has already reshaped the historic theater. The project is expected to open to the public in Fall 2027, according to The Huntington, which describes the 14,000-square-foot wing as the final piece of a decade-long transformation of its campus. Beyond the lobby and ticketing areas, the theater says the wing will include a separate flexible black box performance space, a bar/lounge/café intended to stay open year-round, and an outdoor balcony overlooking Huntington Avenue.
A Tower Rising Around a Historic Stage
The East Wing will occupy the first two floors of a new 34-story, 472,000-square-foot mixed-use residential tower being built by Toll Brothers affiliate QMG Huntington LLC, with Suffolk Construction serving as contractor, per the Boston Planning Department. Construction on that tower at 252 Huntington began in 2022, and the theater's build-out is proceeding alongside the ongoing residential construction — a dual-track arrangement where a high-rise housing project and a nonprofit cultural fit-out are unfolding on the same site. High-Profile Monthly notes the tower will bring more than 400 housing units to the corridor once complete.
Architecture firm Bruner/Cott Architects, which designed the Phase I restoration of the historic mainstage, is leading the East Wing's design in collaboration with The Huntington's Artistic Director Loretta Greco, according to Bruner/Cott Architects. That continuity in design leadership links the glassy new addition directly back to the theater's recently completed historic restoration next door.
From a 941-Day Closure to a $127 Million Campaign
Phase I of the project wrapped in October 2022 after a $58 million restoration that reopened the historic mainstage following 941 days of closure, according to Broadway World. That work upgraded the theater's acoustics, seating, mechanical systems and accessibility. The outlet reports the overall campaign for the project totals $127 million, covering $71 million in construction costs across both phases along with endowment and operational growth funds.
The Huntington says Phase II alone carries a $50 million fundraising target, with 60% of that amount already secured from early donors as of 2026. The theater frames the East Wing as the capstone of a rebuilding effort that stretches back nearly a decade, tied to a real estate deal that reshaped its future on Huntington Avenue.
How a 2016 Sale Set the Stage for Expansion
The theater's current path traces back to 2016, when Boston University sold the historic 1925 building it had partnered with the Huntington Theatre Company to operate since 1982. Per Leggat McCall Properties, which managed the project, that sale to a private developer triggered a multi-party negotiation allowing the nonprofit theater to retain its historic mainstage while securing rights to the new East Wing space in the adjacent tower. The arrangement kept the Huntington rooted on the same block where it has performed for a century, rather than being displaced by redevelopment.
The building itself carries deep roots in American theater history. Constructed in 1925 as the Repertory Theatre of Boston, the venue was one of the country's first nonprofit playhouses and was positioned opposite Symphony Hall to help anchor what became Boston's Avenue of the Arts, according to the National Trust Community Investment Corporation. Since becoming an independent company in 1982, the Huntington has served more than 3.5 million audience members, staged over 200 plays, transferred 18 productions to Broadway or Off-Broadway, and won the Regional Theatre Tony Award, the organization notes.
With groundbreaking on the East Wing approaching this fall, the theater is entering the final stretch of a transformation that has already reshaped its historic stage and is now poised to open a new, glass-fronted front door onto Huntington Avenue.
