Jeff Ruby: Waterfront restaurant to be rebuilt on land

Jeff Ruby's floating Waterfront restaurant is making a move to dry land.

Owner Ruby and the city of Covington have agreed to alter their plan to place the restaurant barge in the river at Covington Landing. Instead, it will be rebuilt on land, putting it on the empty Covington Landing space at the foot of Madison Avenue.

"People may think it's sexier dining on a boat that's actually on the water," Ruby said. "But it's not safe sex."

Concern for the safety of guests and employees, not to mention the extra cost of operating a floating restaurant, prompted Ruby to make the change. "The Waterfront has been sunk, hit by an iceberg, hit by a runaway barge, and come unmoored," Ruby said. "I watched the video of the last time; it was scary. We almost lost an employee."

In March 2011, the restaurant became partially unmoored from its spot at Pete Rose Pier and drifted about 100 feet downriver with 84 diners on board. It has been closed ever since. In February, after being towed to the Covington Landing spot, it was hit by a huge chunk of ice, broke free and came to rest against a trestle of the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge, with maintenance worker Steve Poe aboard. It was then towed downriver to Hebron.

Starting anew on land means building a brand-new restaurant. It could be built on a pad that can float in high water, raising it out of the 100-year floodplain. Ruby, working with Corporex, which owns RiverCenter riverfront office towers, has an architect and engineer working on plans. Ruby had no estimates for how long it would take to open the Waterfront for business again.

Ruby and the city of Covington already had an agreement for moving the Waterfront to Covington Landing; the land-based plan is a new version of that contract. It had included a $1.5 million loan for infrastructure such as a debris diverter, gangway and utility connection.

"We're still committed to that amount," said Larry Klein, Covington's city manager. "But it will be for different infrastructure needs."

Ruby still will pay to lease space from the city and a percentage of gross sales.

As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, the existing barge and most of its contents – save for Ruby's prized artwork – belonged to Fort Thomas business executive and philanthropist David Hosea, president of Hosea Project Movers.

Hosea said he doesn't yet know what he will do with the contents, which include glassware and furnishings, but would likely demolish and recycle the barge.

"I think it's a good decision, a prudent idea on their part," said Klein of the new plan. He has worked hard to keep the Waterfront in Covington as part of a renovation plan for the city's waterfront.

"It's hard to put in words what it does for Covington," he said. "It's high profile – it really puts Covington on the map."

Ruby isn't sorry to get his business off the unpredictable river.

"The only floating I want to do now is on an inner tube in the pool," he said.

Amanda Van Benschoten contributed to this report.