CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- They are still putting some finishing touches on the outside, but inside, the brand new Country Rose Antique Mall it's a busy reopening day.
"It's exciting, a little unnerving, but exciting," said Linda Mastin, the Antique Mall's new owner.
Former owner Ken Schulte sold out after the big fire that destroyed the place in February of last year. "Everything was destroyed; it was a total loss. Everything was gone," he said.
But in the last year and a half, the 28 dealers who sell their stuff here have scoured estate sales and auctions, rebuilt their inventories, and Mastin says most are ready for business. "We are hopeful that everybody will do really well in here," she said.
The temporary loss of this mall and the adjacent Clovis Antique Mall, which was heavily damaged but not destroyed in the fire, was a blow to the quaint Old Town area because folks like Esther Williams from Irvine come from all over just to browse the stores. "Oh I love them, I'm real glad they have preserved as many of them as they have, it's great," she said.
Clovis City Manager Robert Woolley says these are important attractions. "When people think of Downtown Clovis they think of antique stores, so it's a great draw for the downtown businesses. It creates a lot of economic vitality," he said.