Kildeer motel to close; site for sale

Scratch Rand Motel from your list of lodging possibilities in southern Lake County.

Kildeer Village Administrator Michael Talbett said Friday the owners have informed officials they plan to demolish the motel by year's end. Talbett said the owners decided it was too costly to upgrade electrical wiring for a dozen rooms in the wake of a fire in a set of garages last month.

Wiring problems were cited by village officials when an order was issued Sept. 9 prohibiting guests from staying in the 12 rooms, or about half of the motel north of Lake-Cook Road and Route 12, also called Rand Road.

Scrutiny of the Rand Motel began after the blaze erupted in the garages early in the morning Sept. 6. No injuries were reported, but residents in four rooms were shifted elsewhere on the property after gas and electrical service had to be disconnected.

Although the Lake Zurich Fire Department did not list an official cause for the blaze, Kildeer officials said there were indicators it may have been related to electrical service the garages drew from a house on the site. The garages were not attached to the motel.

Talbett said few tenants remain at Rand Motel, which has been a visible fixture on Route 12 for many years. However, the motel that promotes weekly rates on its sign has been noticeably tired in appearance in recent years.

Nancy Loomis Schroeder, president of the Ela Historical Society, said she's not aware if Rand Motel ever had any historical significance to the area. She said the motel is not part of the society's in-depth research on Ela Township-area resorts and lodging places.

"I remember it (Rand Motel) going back to at least the 1970s," she said.

Plans call for Kildeer to assist Rand Motel's operators in marketing the site. Talbett said the property should be attractive to a retail developer because it's near Deer Park Town Center and Shops of Kildeer.

Rand Motel co-owner Rong Huang couldn't be reached for comment.