Central Avenue in downtown Fillmore was under construction this year from March 10th through October. Downtown store owners who patiently struggled through the year are hopeful despite a tough economy.

On October 17, 2008, the Fillmore City Council held a special meeting, at the request of downtown merchants, to explore options for increasing business in downtown Fillmore. Business owners described their struggles, complained about the construction on Central, and asked for help in the form of increased signage and a "shop local" campaign. At that meeting, the Council decided to adhere to the previously agreed upon construction blackout period, which started in November and is scheduled to continue for the rest of 2008. Since then, the City has provided directional banners on the sidewalk between the railroad and City Hall, decorated Central with red banners and lights, and is in the process of placing large signs near Highway 126 that would direct passersby to "Historic Downtown: antiques; specialties; museum; restaurants; winery; train rides; gun shop; services; ice cream; toys." The City has also aired “shop local” commercials on Channel 10, and printed up “shop local” decals. Deputy City Manager Bill Bartels commented that a citywide vision is needed for long term improvement.

Mirage and Mimstar, both located on the corner of Central Ave. and Santa Clara St., possibly suffered the most from construction. Not only were they affected when their portion of Central was closed, but construction equipment was parked in a lot next to theirs on Santa Clara St. Shirley Wright, owner of Mirage, said that business was the worst she had seen in 25 years, but that Christmas shoppers and an open road have helped. Wright and Karen Thayer, owner of Mimstar, explained that many of their customers were unable to walk far, and customers feared that cars parked near the corner would be hit by construction equipment or towed. Some customers thought that the building had been closed during construction, and many were unwilling to navigate through construction obstacles, according to Thayer. Wright said that the construction was so noisy that shoppers could feel the vibrations, and it ruined the shopping experience for customers who had braved the conditions. Thayer said that things started to turn around for Mimstar after Thanksgiving. Because she provides less expensive more personal gifts, her store is very popular in these tighter economic times. Some of her customers have told her that they are not going to the mall this holiday season.

Andrew Whaley, owner of Coffeeboy, expressed frustration but is incredibly optimistic about the potential of downtown Fillmore. The construction on Central started soon after he opened his coffee shop. Besides construction, he blames the seemingly uninhabited properties from Highway 126 up the initial block of Central, which obscure the entrance to downtown. He noted that many Fillmore residents who commute to jobs outside Fillmore visit downtown too infrequently to have any awareness of shopping opportunities here. He believes that Fillmore should learn how to grow more successful downtown business from other small towns that have thrived. Whaley has seen a slight increase in customers coming in off the highway since October, the last month of construction before the blackout period.

Nadir Ghafouri, owner of Sportswear, said that business has been slow, but more of his regular customers have been coming in more often since construction stopped. He noted that each customer is buying less than usual per visit, and blamed the economy. He believes that people like to combine shopping with having fun, and downtown Fillmore needs more fun.

Janine Rees, owner of The Scented Path, said that not having construction has definitely made a difference. She believes the construction hurt her business more than the economic downturn. She's "glad it's over." She explained that people like to be able to park where they want to shop, and that most Fillmore shoppers are unaware of the parking east of Central Ave. behind the stores. Rees said business is a little slower than last year, but it is becoming trendy to shop local. She has heard that people want to shop locally because it can be less expensive, they want to support local businesses, and they want to develop a local economy. She said that many people do last minute Christmas shopping locally.

Blake Allred, owner of Element Computers, noted that business has definitely improved since construction stopped. He explained that most of this year's sales figures were approximately the same as last years for each month except when the portion of Central in front of his shop was closed.

Sandi Ward's Crafts-N-Things is located off Central, between the railroad and City Hall. Ward said that construction affected her business, especially when Santa Clara St. was closed. Her whole year has been slower than usual, but she attributed some of the slowness to the economic downturn. She usually has high sales during October and December, with a lull in November. That timing corresponds to train traffic for pumpkin picking and Christmas tree collection. She was concerned that sales had not picked up during the first two weeks of this December. Ward wants to encourage Fillmore residents to shop locally. She noted that they can find items in Fillmore just as good as items anywhere else while saving time and gas.