Did you know that Dorchester’s Strand Theatre is the only (non-school) theatre space in the city that’s actually owned by the city of Boston? It’s been the case since the mid-1970s when Kevin White twirled the keys to the mayor’s office. White saved it from the wrecking ball. Since then, tens of millions of tax dollars have been pumped in to keep the lights on and to spruce up the old movie house that opened at the height of the last global pandemic in 1918.
It’s sort of surprising, then, that the Strand doesn’t factor into most of the platforms of the people who want to be elected this fall. We’ve been asking the question for many years: What do we want to do with the Strand? We asked it of the candidates who ran for mayor in 2013. Marty Walsh— who won that race— kicked off his campaign for mayor in the Strand— and held a big election eve rally there. But his team never quite nailed the landing when it came to revitalizing the landmark.
This summer, we’ve asked all the candidates for mayor and city council what they would do next.Everyone who responded agrees that the Strand is a “jewel” that we should preserve and improve upon. But, we’ve been hearing that song-and-dance since the 70s. What does that mean in practical terms, particularly in 2021 as we stumble still through Covid, which has been particularly unkind to indoor venues?
John Barros is clearly the most conversant person on the city ballot in this regard. He can see the Strand from his house. He’s the only candidate who name checks the Strand as an important city asset on his website. And his interest showed in his detailed response to our questionnaire this month.
In his role as Marty Walsh’s economic development chief, Barros was charged with “reimagining” Uphams Corner as an “Arts Innovation District.” Since 2015, there’s been a too-long series of meetings, some with a focus on creating an “RFP” to pick an outside operator to take over the Strand’s operations. That’s been tried before— and flopped— under the Menino administration. But Barros is committed to trying again if he wins. And, from this vantage point, it’s worth one more shot.
“A separate operator will have the staffing and budget to help the Strand fulfill its potential, while the City of Boston can focus on marketing the asset and attracting more patrons,” Barros said in part.
Michelle Wu called the Strand a “community treasure” that “should be the anchor for a thriving arts district right at Uphams Corner as well as integrated into a citywide elevation of arts and culture.” But there’s not much “there” there. Wu’s arts platform as outlined on her very comprehensive site never even mentions the Dorchester theatre.
Frank Baker, the city councillor whose District 3 seat includes the Strand, has clearly been paying attention. He urgently wants to link plans to build a new library in Uphams Corner to the theatre’s re-use and worries that if we don’t, we’ll face another “missed opportunity.”
“By connecting the library, with the senior housing above, onto the Strand Theater, we can create a hub in Uphams Corner that will ultimately be an economic driving force for the neighborhood,” Baker said.
None of the candidates for mayor or council should be judged solely on one issue in one corner of the city. But the Strand is a citywide asset — or, to some, a liability—that merits a more thoughtful approach.
The next mayor and council need to make a hard call on whether or not we want the Strand on the city’s balance sheets moving forward. And if we do, let’s start to see more action and less platitudes from the next administration.
