Noah’s Ark eatery will remain open as court fight over its fate is se…

A long-running family dispute over the fate of Des Moines’ Noah’s Ark restaurant has been settled in a manner that will enable the popular eatery to remain open.

Although the settlement agreement itself has been sealed by the court, related documents make clear that the five-year legal fight over the future of the 77-year-old Italian restaurant has been resolved. The settlement will result in the restaurant remaining open under the existing management team and at its current location in the 2400 block of Ingersoll Avenue.

Real estate records indicate the dispute was resolved with the recent sale of the restaurant to the faction of the Lacona family that has managed the eatery for decades. The records show the land and building, as well as an adjacent parcel of land, were sold three weeks ago to longtime manager James Lacona II for $1,059,810.

Lacona told Iowa Capital Dispatch on Thursday the total amount he had to pay for the business,…