Great Scott Focuses on 2027 Reopening Following Boston Zoning Board’s Approval

The Boston Zoning Board of Appeals approved the redevelopment plan for the historic Great Scott. This approval comes two months after the hearing was rescheduled from July. 

The project plan calls for a nine-story, mixed-use building with 139 residential units, 20% of which are affordable, along with 71,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, according to a Boston.com report.

Additionally, in the same intersection that the Great Scott occupies, the other three corners of the intersection will be redeveloped as well. A 96-room hotel, without dedicated parking, is also planned as part of the project. According to Boston.com, the new location for the Great Scott's signature green awning will be two blocks down from the original Great Scott on the corner of Cambridge Street and Harvard Avenue. The Great Scott will have a 300-person capacity and 75 at its sister venue, O'Brien's.

Opened in 1976 and closed in 2020, the Great Scott has been a beloved venue known for hosting emerging artists and notable acts. Those individuals have included  Sugar Ray & the Bluestones and Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson, along with contemporary performers such as Charli XCX, Phoebe Bridgers, MGMT, and Jack Harlow.

 “When Great Scott was first forced to close in 2020, there was an incredible public outcry. I didn't realize that my petition to save the club [that set out to get] 7,500 signatures would make such a  difference, but we gathered 25,000,” said Allston resident Wendy Schiller in a statement she shared during the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting.

Beyond support from the public, Boston Mayor Wu's office has also spoken out about the redevelopment efforts for the Great Scott. “The revival of this venue, in addition to sorely needed new housing stock, will help to invigorate the Allston-Brighton arts community,” said Jessica Roberts, the Allston-Brighton liaison of the mayor's neighborhood services office, in a media statement shared with Boston.com.

According to the Boston Planning Department, a four- to six-month-long design process will begin before groundbreaking around March 2026. Construction completion is anticipated approximately 12 to 16 months later.