By Pete Stidman

News Editor

The future looks bright.

Creeping into the skyline from formerly vacant lots just outside Upham's Corner on Dudley and Hancock streets are two new housing developments that people will start moving into early next year. The Salvation Army will soon break ground on The Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center, a gigantic family-oriented facility just west of the newly renovated commuter rail station. Dormant storefronts in the business district are opening this fall as a CVS, possibly a new grocery, and a renovated theatre, the historic Strand. But as the construction crews labor, some say business is thin.

"It used to be so crowded at four o'clock," said Del René, manager of Jackson's Hair Salon on Dudley Street. "I never really noticed how much business [America's Food Basket] brought. A lot of men with their kids stopped coming because of that. At least six I know of, with two or three kids a piece."

Mourning the passing of the Food Basket, which closed almost two years ago, is a lament the new director of Uphams Corner Main Streets (UCMS), Zachary Cohen, hears often.

"Our hope is that CVS will get some of that foot traffic back into the neighborhood," said Cohen. Since getting the job in January, he has focused on organizing the area's business owners. "We're trying to figure out where are the people in the neighborhood shopping, and if they're not shopping here, where are they going?"

From the small UCMS office at 594 Columbia Road, Cohen is also trying to find tenants for vacant storefronts, survey the businesses that are there, involve them in Main Streets organizing and arrange business assistance for them if they need it. The national Main Streets program was founded to preserve historic commercial buildings in towns and cities, a reaction to the advent of shopping malls and big box stores that tend to draw customers away and send small business districts into hard times.

Even though prosperity appears on the horizon and a few new shops are opening, UCMS and the business community face a number of challenges.

Over 10 storefront vacancies exist in the area, including the two on either side of the Strand Theatre. Of the almost 150 businesses that line Columbia Road, Dudley Hancock and Stoughton streets, some are thriving, but others need assistance in the form of spruced up storefronts, business advice, or unforeseen hurdles like flood damage.

Drug deals are also going down on the street. Some owners see teenagers coming to work in the morning, just to stand around in front of their shop all day. Graffiti has also been a problem, although some property owners have recently cleaned up their buildings.

Despite the trials, and in view of future prospects, Cohen and UCMS board members are trying to come up with a brand for Upham's, one that encompasses the wide diversity of the community. Their outlook is full of optimism for what can be accomplished.

Two sit-down dining establishments have opened up in the last two years, Ka Carlos, with Cape Verdean food, and the Seven 50 Grill with a more international menu. Along with Laura's Place and Chef Lee's II Soul Food, Uphams Corner restaurants stand a good chance of absorbing some of the after-show crowd from the Strand Theatre, when the shows start up again.

"I hope it opens again soon," said Ka Carlos owner Carlos Depina. "People would come in here a lot [from the Strand], different people, outside people"

The owners of Laura's Place are doing well enough to afford a roughly $90,000 storefront renovation and new signage for the restaurant and Cape Verdean Liquors, their other operation. The couple is applying for a storefront improvement grant from UCMS that would pay for up to half of the cost.

"When we bought this building it was totally abandoned," said co-owner Laura Pereira-Corria. "We do it step by step."

Ricky Singh of Singh's Roti shop next door plans to follow suit. He cites the renovation of Edward Everett Square and the big golden pear sculpture installed with it as a motivating factor. "It makes you want to come to work," he said.

George Papadopoulos, owner of Seven 50 Grill on Dudley Street, isn't doing quite as well just yet. Papadopoulos converted from a pizzeria to dining last year, to avoid competing against his other pie-shop around the corner on Columbia Road, Upham's House of Pizza.

"So far it's not working," said Papadopoulos. "I believe it's the pricing, but for the food we have, it's not expensive. When you give a sirloin steak it can't be $9.99."

UCMS is collaborating with Papadopoulos on menu changes for September, including an all-you-can-eat buffet. Adding live entertainment is also part of the plan, but the genre is still up in the air.

"If this doesn't work," said Papadopoulos, "forget about it."

Most business owners, and even Papadopoulos when he speaks of Upham's House of Pizza, are upbeat about business and future change in the area.

One of the newest additions to the street is the two-month-old Only One Design Women's Boutique, a custom dressmaking shop that could fit in on Newbury Street, but instead nestles in next to Spots Cleaners and George Williams' TV repair shop on Dudley Street. Owner Santa Cabrera has been a seamstress all her life, and once ran a similar shop in her hometown of Puerto Plato in the Dominican Republic. She worked in New York City later on and also held a job at Sonia's Bridal in Jamaica Plain. Most recently she's been working out of her home nearby on Monadnock Street.

"She does weddings, proms, sweet sixteen," said Junior Cabrera, her son. "It's actually steady. She hasn't had to look for more outside work. I think it's a sign that people can still make it out here. It's not a bad neighborhood."

One of Cohen's tools for bringing the owners together is the networking breakfast. The next one is happening Sept. 17 at Laura's Place, but Cohen said most owners are already friendly with each other.

"Around here, all the owners are my friends," said Pablo Ovalles, owner of the Tropical Grocery Store on Hancock Street. He's looking to expand. "I'm interested in buying a house around here because I think Dorchester is going to come up."

"We're trying to get as many people from the community invested in what we're doing as we can," said Cohen. We have a lot of support from the city of Boston and a strong board of directors and committees developing. We're just going to continue building on that and make a stronger, more successful business community in Upham's Corner."

So far, the neighborhood seems to appreciate the effort.

"He makes things happen," said Singh of Singh's Roti Shop. "That's a good thing."