Roseville Wondering What's Next For Sammy's Rockin Island Bar & Grill
ROSEVILLE (CBS13) — It's been almost three weeks since Roseville developer Stephen Pease was found dead in the Pacific Ocean, and the big question now is what's next for his now-closed restaurant.
Sammy's Rockin' Island Bar & Grill was meant to anchor Roseville's new downtown, but the restaurant closed around the time that Pease disappeared.
Emotional messages are scrawled on the front door of the restaurant now remembering Pease, who went missing in late October. About a month later, divers would find his body in the ocean off of Mendocino County.
The cause of death hasn't been released, and searchers are still looking for his rental car.
Eileen Lawson co-owner Chester's Jewelry and Loan just across Vernon Street. She, like many others, was relying on Sammy's and the city's redevelopment plan to breathe new life into this area.
"This has just been a big disappointment to everyone," she said. "We didn't expect it."
Roseville Community Development Corporation Chairman Howard Rudd says the private company funded by the city of Roseville gave Pease a loan for $1.5 million to create the restaurant.
"We filed foreclosure on the business so that we could regain control of the property," he said.
The agency is looking for partners to run a restaurant where Sammy's is, and they hope to regain the money through that partnership.
"I can't say who individually, but there's been several individuals that have made inquiries about the availability of it," he said.
Sammy's wasn't Pease's only project. He was also partnering on a similar one in the works inside the Roseville Galleria. While the galleria wouldn't comment on it, Rudd suspects that project is now on hold.
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