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Mineola doesn't sell on eBay, but still on the market

The 30-day online auction of the Mineola Hotel and Lounge on eBay passed without any bids being filed, leaving the future of the historic property still in doubt.

However, Pete Jakstas, owner of the now-shuttered facility at 91 Cora Drive in Fox Lake, said the online auction could indirectly help with a sale in the future.

Jakstas said he has received phone calls from potential buyers in California, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

He said he also recently met with a potential developer and architectural drawings were brought out and discussed.

"It didn't sell off eBay, no, but I'm still meeting and talking with potential buyers and developers to get something done," he said. "I sure hope the whole thing can sell in the very near future."

The Mineola didn't get a single bid when the online auction ended about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday after being listed for a reserved low bid of $2 million.

The reserve bid meant the Jakstas could reject any bid below an undisclosed set price if he didn't feel the bid was large enough.

It's been a rough year for Jakstas and the historic Mineola Hotel, which Jakstas has owned for the past 69 years.

Problems began in May 2011 when the village of Fox Lake condemned the 128-year-old Mineola due to numerous safety concerns inside the wooden structure.

According to the village, the aging building - once a weekend retreat of mobster Al Capone - was in immediate danger of collapse,

However, Jakstas fought back and produced a structural engineer of his own who showed the building was safe, and forced the village to reopen the Mineola.

The village filed a public safety lawsuit against Jakstas last August to condemn the facility.

That case went to Lake County circuit court this spring. Following one day of testimony in mid-May, Jakstas agreed to a settlement that closed the facility for good.

In addition, Jakstas' daughter Karen - who managed the Mineola - died of a heart attack in October 2011, accelerating Jakstas' desire to sell.

The online eBay auction of the Mineola Hotel and Lounge in Fox Lake ended Wednesday without a single bid being filed, but owner Pete Jakstas said it could still indirectly lead to a sale. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald ¬
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