Strand Theatre in Uphams Corner, Dorchester

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Ron Newman

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Before last Friday night's Dance Across the City show, Mayor Menino announced that the Strand Theatre will close for renovations starting this Wednesday.

I can't find anything on the city web site about the project, nor any articles in online or printed media such as the Bay State Banner. If anyone knows more about this project, please post here.
 
http://www.wilsonbutlerlodge.com/


Strand Theatre
Boston, Massachusetts

The 1407-seat Strand Theatre (in its early days as a movie theatre it sat 1800) built in 1918, was originally designed by architects Funk and Wilcox. Wilson Butler's current three phase expansion and restoration of the Strand will bring back its elegance along with a new technical sophistication.

The project's scope of work includes, for Phase One: a new box office, new back of house facilities (including dressing rooms and restrooms) and full restoration of the terra cotta fa?ade, construction summer of 2006. Phase Two: new elevator, new rehearsal and support spaces, construction summer of 2007. Phase Three: full historic restoration of the auditorium, projected start date summer 2008.

Project Info
Cost: $17,000,000, includes all Phases
Complete: Study currently underway
Scope: Master Plan and Design of Renovation
Client: Public Facilities Department, City of Boston
Staff: Scott Wilson, AIA; Bruce Herrmann, AIA; Laura Mandat; Cedric Robinson
 
Thanks for finding that. I hope it won't have to close for two full years. Any idea how it managd to lose 400 seats?
 
The Mayor is giving his State of the City address tonight at the Strand, so maybe we'll find out more then.
 
From the front page of today's Metro:

"Menino also pledged to save the Strand itself, announcing that $6 million worth of renovations and investments will begin next month."
 
I'd ask that same question about City Hall, traffic improvements to Comm Ave and the Fenway or any area that has more rapid transit than Dorchester... With who's money? Dorchester has more taxpayers than any other part of the city so it is logical that the lions share of funds should be spent there. :roll:
 
Um, huh?

Streets are something that everyone uses.

Theaters are run by private companies.

Or, at least they should be.
 
This theatre became owned by the city of Boston when its previous owner defaulted on its taxes, way back in the 1970s. It is an asset to the community and an appropriate thing for the city to own.
 
What kind of return is this going to bring and don't say it gives the community pride.
 
If you're asking whether patrons of the theatre return for additional shows, probably not so much right now, because it has been inconsistently programmed. I hope that gets better after the renovations. A few years ago, the city sought out a private company to operate it, but didn't get any acceptable bids.

It is the only former movie or vaudeville theatre still operating in the entire city of Boston, except for those downtown.
 
I didn't realize how how broad that question was, again. Will this be financially profitable or is this just a feel-good renovation where there serves to be no monetary gain?
 
I suspect the answer will be "no" to both parts of that question. It will do more than 'feel good' but it probably won't result in a profit. Do you think it is not worth preserving? Had the city not taken it over, it would be either abandoned or demolished by now, just like all of the other vaudeville stages and movie theatres Boston's neighborhoods used to have.

Making the theatre successful again can help uplift the entire commercial district that surrounds it. People come for a show, stay to eat and shop.
 
That's not enough for me ...

I don't think the city should be a landlord, that's all. Buildings come, buildings go.
 
So you don't want it preserved, even though it's the last one remaining? Your plan will almost guarantee its destruction.

The theatre should be the centerpiece of any Main Streets program to revive the commercial area. It is a unique feature of Uphams Corner.
 
I would say tear it down if it isn't going to be profitable. It's a theater, not the paul revere house.
 
Ever been inside? If not, perhaps you should not be so cavalier about wanting to demolish a neighborhood landmark.
 
I don't need to go inside to infer that there are better uses for this land. It's going to be six million dollars wasted. There are far greater problems in this city than shabby theaters, people are getting killed, here, in this city. I would say 6 million dollars spent on the BPD and a few lives being saved, or a few murderers being brought to justice far outweighs the neighborhood benefits of a theater. If this were mine to do, I would go in, tear it down, build a ritz-carlton, something like the one in georgetown and gentrify the entire neighborhood. It would certainly change the crime stats.
 
Mm yes, Upton's Corner is certainly just like Georgetown prior to the construction of the Ritz-Carlton there...
 
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