Early Successes and Challenges
In the late 19th century, the horse-drawn streetcar system was becoming the primary form of urban transportation and Upham’s Corner developed as one of the premier transfer points for crossing streetcar lines. By 1940, business was booming in Upham’s Corner and the district boasted having the first movie theater in Boston, “The Strand,” one of the first supermarkets in the world, and the second-oldest cemetery in the country. Upham’s Corner had become the second largest shopping district in the entire city of Boston. However, by the end of the 1950’s, transportation patterns and infrastructure began evolving away from the streetcar network and the district lost the trolley lines that had intersected at its center. Following that loss, Upham’s Corner declined, becoming a shopping district for low-income working families and welfare recipients living in its immediate vicinity. Many of its larger commercial buildings fell into disuse, especially above street level, and by the end of the 1970’s most national chain stores had left the area. The prevailing 1980’s wisdom among store planners was that Upham’s Corner and business districts like it could no longer attract the purchasing power to support supermarkets or other anchor retail stores. There were even recommendations that some of the buildings be torn down.
The Revitalization
In 1996, a group of concerned neighborhood residents, merchants, and civic leaders banded together to initiate the revitalization of the once vibrant Upham’s Corner business district. With the assistance of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the City of Boston, the group was able to secure a Main Street program in Upham’s Corner. Thus Upham’s Corner Main Street (UCMS) formed with a goal of advocating, planning, and managing the revitalization of the Upham’s Corner business district so as to create new permanent jobs, an optimal mix of retail businesses, and changed shopping patterns that fit the needs of residents.
UCMS utilized comprehensive market data that were collected during the 1995 – 2000 period. While the data confirmed UCMS’ assumption that many residents were going outside Upham’s Corner for much of their shopping, they also revealed some very promising opportunities. Recent demographic changes in the area’s population suggested that it was now feasible to profitably expand the business district. A revitalized and profitable “town center” could now be supported in Upham’s Corner. UCMS undertook strategic planning and saw the implementation of its business recruitment goals, where new merchants would be attracted to the area to better serve the business and resident populations. In addition, UCMS saw business recruitment as a way to broaden the area’s business base and provide additional employment for residents. The goal was to increase the range and quality of the goods and services offered to Upham’s Corner’s shoppers, thus bringing shoppers back into the district.
Upham's Corner Today
Today, Upham’s Corner is recovering its vibrancy. The Upham’s Corner Health Center, the area’s largest business, is operating in a new building, which makes several of its former locations available for lease to retail and service businesses. Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation sold one of its buildings to a business owner familiar with the successful transformation of another Boston Main Street district, and this resulted in business recruitment and commercial development being achieved by a single transaction. New Atlantic Development, a private developer, completed the renovation of what had been for 20 years a vacant eyesore. As a result, the “Upham’s Corner Marketplace,” is now a mixed-use facility that has 11,500 square feet of ground floor retail space and 45 affordable apartments on the upper floors. New Atlantic Development also completed the ‘Columbia West’ apartments, a site that had been vacant land for three decades. This elegant building adds substantial value to the neighborhood and helps UCMS protect the integrity of its commercial core by focusing new retail development in the traditional storefronts. Other key successes accomplished by UCMS include Aaron’s Furniture, Chef Lee’s II Soul Food, New York Fried Chicken, ka-Carlos Restaurant, CV Liquors, and Restaurant Laura.
This has been a year of exciting change and development in Upham’s Corner. Following a year of strategic planning, UCMS’ Board, committees, and staff have all been revamped. Now, in 2008, the organization is stronger than ever and UCMS is focused on developing new programs and initiatives. Over the next year, UCMS plans to raise the profile of its organization and to grow on its past successes, which include more than ten years of volunteer time, grant funding, and public sector support.
The Strand Theatre, an anchor of the Upham’s Corner business district, is undergoing major renovations and when it reopens it will be under new management that is committed to seeing that the theater succeeds as a performing arts venue. To complement this reopening, the owners of the buildings directly abutting both sides of Strand are working on storefront improvements and are actively seeking new tenants that will complement the Strand. In November 2007, CVS joined the Upham’s Corner community, and in summer 2008, Brother’s Supermarket will replace the former Dudley Street store, Americas’ Foodbasket, as a new anchor to our business district. The business community is excited about these developments and more, as evidenced by UCMS’ bimonthly series of Business Networking Breakfasts, which always bring out a full crowd of merchants, residents, and other local leaders. Many of the business owners that attend these meetings are now planning their own storefront improvements and are actively participating in the community and with UCMS.