Gray Duck Tavern in downtown St. Paul closes suddenly

Gray Duck Tavern in Downtown St. Paul has abruptly closed.

The restaurant, opened by Madison Equities in 2017, posted a notice on the door, informing diners that it was shutting down, effective immediately.

"The Gray Duck Tavern is permanently closed!" the notice, dated July 16, reads. "We apologize for the short notice but we wanted to inform all of our loyal customers!"

The closure, first reported by the Pioneer Press , comes as Madison Equities, the largest property owner in downtown St. Paul, looks to sell off its entire portfolio . The building that houses Gray Duck Tavern, the Lowry Apartments, was separately listed for sale in May.

The closure leaves Handsome Hog as the company's only restaurant that is still open following the closures of others such as Noyes & Cutler, Ox Cart Ale House, and Eagle Street Grille, which closed last year .

Meanwhile, Kelly Hadac, a lawyer for Madison Equities, wrote to the city council earlier this month saying that downtown was in "crisis."

"Downtown St. Paul is in trouble," Hadac wrote. "Crime is up. Bullet holes in the glass on the commercial buildings and elsewhere is no longer uncommon. There is rampant homelessness and drug use. Restaurants have gone out of business. Businesses have gone bankrupt. Skyways are empty. Public and private employees are working from home. I could go on and on but we trust you understand the point."

Representatives for Madison Equities did not respond to a request for comment.