When the Vincent Van Gogh exhibition at the Strand Theatre opened last October, neighbors and business owners in Uphams Corner noticed something a bit new – lots of visitors.

The Van Gogh display is scheduled to close this week after a five-month run, and though it’s too early to get the raw numbers on ticket sales and revenues, the eyes don’t lie. The exhibit has attracted numerous guests from inside and outside the neighborhood and the city, allowing civic leaders and organizations to believe that the Strand can be an anchor destination in the Uphams Corner Arts and Innovation District.

On Feb. 15, Mayor Wu visited the display with state Rep. Liz Miranda on one of the “Dorchester community days.” Wu said the presentation has only strengthened the resolve of the city to reinvent and reinvigorate the theatre.

“The city still believes in the Strand; no question whatsoever,” said the mayor “This is a priority, and this is a treasure that needs to have the investment and energy and love it deserves. This is a place that is, and now should even more be, the pride of our city.”

Beth O’Donnell, of the Dorchester Bay Community Development Corporation, said her associates have noticed the new faces and the curious guests around the theatre since the Van Gogh showing opened there.

“There is a noticeable difference in the numbers of people and who it is that’s coming through Uphams Corner; no question about it,” she said. “We believe that’s very encouraging to see.”

But even friendly voices to the idea of an Arts and Innovation District concede that the infrastructure for welcoming outside guests is not yet there. Missing are the coffee shops, the sit-down restaurants, and the small shops that can attract and keep people in the district before and after the curtains come down at a show at the Strand.

“Obviously, there’s only a couple of restaurants now, and we have Comfort Kitchen coming in. There’s also some parcels that could be businesses so people could come eat and drink,” said Miranda. “There needs to be a little more. I’m a firm believer in not spending my money in other communities all the time. I want to be able to have a drink and eat with my friends and I think Uphams Corner is equally and uniquely positioned for that to be reality.”

That has been a common observation from neighbors and business owners in the area, who say they’ve often been asked by visitors to the Strand if there is a sit-down restaurant nearby, or a place to grab coffee. Most stakeholders said they see that more needs to be done to keep people around.

John Smith, executive director of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI), said that neighborhood amenities like the ones seen in Jamaica Plain or the South End are not yet in place. “It’s really pizza and fast food and so it’s not quite at that level of community cohesiveness,” he said.
“I think that Uphams Corner is rich in vitality, but the deficiencies are in the infrastructure, and that’s something we need to continue to develop to make this a destination point,” he continued.

For its part, the Mayor’s Office indicated it has replenished the Small Business Relief Fund with $5 million to help these efforts and to incentivize existing business to expand to meet the market.

Working with Uphams Corner Main Streets, the Mayor’s Office said its officials are trying to attract and support more restaurants in the area, pointing to Oasis Restaurant on Hancock Street as one example of an existing business that has used city resources to expand.

The long-awaited Comfort Kitchen on Columbia Road is another example, they said, as is the successful expansion and move of Singh’s Roti from Edward Everett Square up to Uphams Corner. The Main Streets organization was instrumental in making that move successful and adding an established restaurant across the street from the Strand.

The Mayor’s Office also said it has made multiple façade improvements to places like Brothers Market on Dudley Street and Boston Pizza and Grill, which is next door to the Strand.

City Councillor Frank Baker has said there needs to be consideration for parking if people are expected to come in from out of town for a show at the Strand. Without that, he said, there won’t be the disposable income necessary to support a growing restaurant and amenity cluster.

Despite those existing deficiencies, most observers agree that the Van Gogh exhibit has shown that a multi-use, flex-space, traditional theatre space can be successful at the Strand. Smith believes it can be the backbone for the area – if handled correctly.

“I think the Strand can be the engine,” he said. “If it becomes a community presence and brings in shows and has community uses, I feel it can activate all of the district.”