Cape Girardeau's downtown area has taken on a decidedly "uptown" look.

With its specialty stores and unique restaurants, the Main Street area has become a hub for both shopping and entertainment.

"A lot of people like to visit downtown Cape Girardeau," says Evelyn Boardman, a retail merchant on Main Street. "We offer specialty shopping, neat places to eat and visitors like to watch the boats go by on the river."

The downtown area encompasses a wide area of the city's older neighborhoods, from the river to West End Boulevard, and from Bellevue to Morgan Oak.

By more specific definition, the immediate downtown area is centered around Main, Water and Spanish streets.

"We feel there have been many improvements in the downtown area," said Martin Hecht, who is involved in five Main Street retail operations Hecht's, Hecht's Too, Hecht's Shoes, Hecht's Woman and Main Street. "You can look up and down Main these days and see very few vacancies. I'm enthused with the future of Main Street."

Only four storefronts are vacant along a three- or four-block section of Main and plans are already in the making for one of those spaces to be utilized.

"A bridal store recently opened," added Hecht. "And, a new book store will be opening soon. We haven't had a book store downtown since the Osterloh's store."

Dennis "Doc" Cain agrees that the downtown area is making great strides.

"I'm seeing more people downtown," said Cain, owner of Port Cape Girardeau Restaurant. "I think people are getting more confident with the economy, and they're spending; 1992 was certainly kinder to us than 1991.

Cain, who also owns Port Cape West in West Park Mall, is "rehabbing" a building which stretches from Main to Water streets in the downtown area. "We purchased the old Co-op building," he said. "We delayed some rehab work on it when we moved a branch to the mall, but we'll be getting back to the downtown building work soon."

Cain said he would utilize the Water Street portion of the Co-op building, and either sell or lease the Main Street portion of the building.

Another new business a restaurant which will feature inside and outside dining, is expected to locate near the Independence and Spanish intersection in early summer.

Meanwhile, work is progressing on the Alliance Building on South Spanish. Bert and Maryanne Kellerman of Cape Girardeau purchased the building in 1992 and renamed it the Alliance Building.

"Our interest in the building is that it is the only one of its kind in Cape Girardeau that has pressed metal components on the front," said Maryanne Kellerman. "It is of a commercial, Italianate style, with cornice work around the edge of the roof. The entire front facade is made of pressed metal."

The Kellermans decided to call it the Alliance Building because it will house an alliance of artisans, craftsmen and furniture fabrication arts, all under one roof. They plan to use half of the two-story building for classic furniture fabrication by skilled craftsmen and artisans.

The rest of the first floor of the building will be devoted to businesses dealing with design-related activities. The second floor will be converted into two luxury rental apartments with rooftop terraces.

"We have also purchased the corner vacant lot next door," said Kellerman.

Three more luxury apartments will open in the downtown area in the near future.

"We're remodeling the top floor of our building at the corner of Independence and Main," said Vernon E. Rhodes, president of Plaza Tire Service. "There will be three luxury apartments of more than 1,200 square feet each."

Rhodes said the apartments will be ready for occupancy later this month.

Several new business have located in the Main Street area during the past two years, and more are expected this year.

"We have to gear toward tourism and tourists," said Boardman. "A lot of people will be passing through Cape Girardeau en route to Branson to catch the big-name entertainment there.

"During the past two years, a number of specialty businesses have opened here," added Boardman, in reference to antique and gift shops.

Three additional retail operations are in the planning for the Main Street area this year, including a discount book store, which is expected to open later this month.

Stores that opened within the past 12 to 14 months include:

Daina Rae's, owned by Daina Eyler, a craft supplies and gift shop, 130 N. Main.

Jay's Beauty Salon, owned by Jay Whitfield, at 42 N. Main, a one operator shop with full beauty salon services.

My Daddy's Cheesecake, a gourmet cheesecake business that offers a variety of cheesecake and muffins.

Heartland Antiques Emporium, an antique and collectibles mall with more than 30 shops at 5 N. Main.

M.J. Jewelry, a wholesale costume-jewelry shop at 108 N. Main.

Hansen's Collectibles, 210 Independence. "Downtown is where the action is," said Lee Ann Hansen. "We like the traffic we're getting." Hansen and her husband, Tim, are owners of the new shop.

Jayson Jewelers Ltd., which has moved from Main to 115 Themis. The new location provides more space for the firm.

St. Avit's Art Gallery, corner of Spanish and Independence, featuring sculptures and paintings. It's operated by John and Evelyn Boardman.

Croxton's Antiques, which recently moved from Independence in downtown Cape Girardeau to the 600 block of Broadway, more than doubling its space and adding an antique mall look with several additional antique dealers.

Peddler's Corner Furniture and Stuff, 701 Broadway, owned by L.R. Brandes, who has been selling "furniture and stuff" for more than four years as an auctioneer, and his son, Lonnie Brandes.

Several Main Street business buildings have new exterior or interior looks.

The interior of C.P. McGinty Jewelers has been completely remodeled, said owner Chuck McGinty. "We decided to remodel after making the decision to consolidate all of our efforts into custom-design jewelry," McGinty said. "Also, we needed a larger privacy area in our workshop so we could work uninterrupted."

Leland J. "Freck" Shivelbine said the purpose of a remodeling project at Shivelbine's Music, 535 Broadway, was to provide a better atmosphere for the display of merchandise. "We wanted a more modern, contemporary look to the inside of the store," he explained.

"We installed slot walls for better displays, added a number of additional rooms on the second floor for demonstration of sound equipment, another room for drum sets, and a room for trade-in merchandise," said Shivelbine. "We also installed new carpeting over all of the first floor."

Shivelbine said this is the first major remodeling of the store since it moved to 535 Broadway in 1969.

Customers who go into Zickfield's Jewelers, 29 N. Main, will notice a new look to the interior of the building. "We wanted to put forth as nice a presentation as we can, with a good looking building and a pleasant atmosphere to shop in," said Zickfield. "We installed a marble entryway, wallpapered and recarpeted the interior, and have just completed installing new inserts in our display cases that give the interior a complete new color combination and a totally new look."

Another downtown building that has a totally new look on the outside and inside is the Chrisman Art Gallery & Outfitters, 34 N. Main. Owner David Vinson relocated the gallery from the West Park Mall.

Another downtown building with a new look is Office Furniture World, 20 N. Main. The exterior front of the building was completely remodeled. It opened in 1991 in the former Montgomery Ward building. The 40,000-square-foot building handles previously-owned office furniture.