Magda Weydt was apprehensive when construction crews last month tore up the sidewalk in front of her newly opened Fresh and Fabulous Cafe and Bakery on Fourth Street in downtown Oxnard.

Business dropped by nearly half. Regulars stopped coming by, because they couldn't park in front of the eatery.

But contractors worked around Weydt's schedule and poured concrete after her busy lunch hour. The work lasted only two weeks, and business has since rebounded.

"I think it's close to normal now," Weydt, 31, of Ventura said recently. "In the end, it will be much better. Anything that will draw more people in is beneficial."

Weydt's experience seems to be the norm around downtown Oxnard as work to renovate business district sidewalks and trees nears completion in early June.

The project is another step in the city's effort to rejuvenate downtown, a long-term vision that included a 14-screen cinema, several new restaurants and a parking structure.

While the $3.3 million sidewalk and tree project slowed business for some, merchants welcomed the work as a "no pain, no gain" situation.

Some shop and business owners said the city gave merchants plenty of advance notice.

"It's a distraction, but the ultimate finished product will be beautiful," said Penny Boehm, an employee for developer Hearthside Homes who works next door to Weydt in the old Woolworth's building.

Downtown advocates had pressed for improvements for about 10 years, said Gary Blum, vice president of the Oxnard Downtown Management District.

Many sidewalks around the business district had heaved and buckled, leaving pedestrians at risk of injury.

Blum blamed it on ficus trees whose root systems cracked foundations and invaded sewers.

The new sidewalks alternate between squares of classic cinder and sparkling terra cotta. Ficuses are giving way to a host of palms and Mexican sycamores "that are much more well-behaved in an urban environment," Blum said.

"It's going to be a whole new uniform look for the business district," he said. "It's more welcoming, more safe."

Crews broke ground in February, spending two to three weeks per block to minimize impacts, said Matt Winegar, the city's director of development services.

The work is focused on a 12-block area south of City Hall, bounded by Second Street to the north, Sixth Street to the south, Oxnard Boulevard to the east and B Street to the west.

"There's a little bit of pain and suffering," Winegar said of the merchants, "but I think they're excited about the outcome."