A Decade After Closing, The Rusty Duck Part Of Riverfront Revitalization Talk

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — It was once considered by many to be the top restaurant to visit in Sacramento, but a decade after its closing, The Rusty Duck may be making a comeback.

The restaurant was a hotspot in the 1980s and 1990s, but it closed in 2008 during an economic downturn and changed ownership.

A Sacramento contractor has purchased the boarded-up restaurant and is closing on the property next door. He says he has a big plans, calling the area of the river district one-of-a-kind.

It's still perched on stilts with an expansive view of the American River just off of Interstate 5. Steven Ayers says its bones are solid and he'd like to bring it back to its old glory.

"We hope that a national restaurant would come here. It would need ot be essentially a destination restaurant very similar to say a Morton's," he said.

If that doesn't work out, Ayers says he will build apartments or condos on the location. He says he'll be investing anywhere from $30 million to $150 million on the project.

If the restaurant revitalization works out, he plans to have it moving forward next year.