City Deal Clears Way for Microbrewery
A much-discussed microbrewery and upscale restaurant could be operating in downtown Fillmore by April as a result of an agreement reached this week by the city and brewery owner, officials said.
The City Council agreed to sell a site at Main Street and Central Avenue for $84,700 to the Sespe River Brewing Co. The city’s Redevelopment Agency has loaned the company $98,000 to build the business on the site of a former upholstery shop.
The land is part of a 13.4-acre municipally owned parcel of former railroad right of way the city is redeveloping that already includes the new City Hall, a winery and expanded park.
The brewery owners are two Bardsdale residents: brewmaster Robert Shepherd, who also owns a movie special-effects company, and Roger Palmer, a retired schoolteacher.
“It certainly does not meet the demographic of where you would typically put a microbrewery, but we both live in the area and we feel the community needs additional attractions to go along with the development of the tourist industry,” Palmer said.
Construction is expected to begin in October.
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