New tenants for two Fox Lake properties along Route 12

Two prominent vacant business properties along Route 12 on Fox Lake's south side will get new tenants in the coming weeks, village officials said.

However, little to no progress has been made on the planned Route 12 hotel project that has been dormant for more than 18 months, officials added.

The former Fox Lake Ford site on the west side of Route 12 will become an automobile repair shop, while the former Chrysler dealership across the street will become a weekend flea market/expo center, Mayor Ed Bender said.

"It's important that these parcels are filled with tenants because these are among the first properties seen when heading into town," Bender said. "Hopefully, by having those businesses full, it will help generate other new business in town."

The repair shop, officially listed at 90 S. Route 12, will be called One Special Car, village officials said, and could open in the next week or two. It also intends to sell cars in the future, but it's unclear when the sales could start, Bender said.

The flea market/expo center has not yet have a business license, but the village board has approved permits needed for it to open, officials said. The flea market will mostly be a weekend venture, but there have been discussions about opening it on some weekdays.

Construction work on both facilities has been ongoing, Bender said.

Both businesses shuttered between December 2008 and March 2009, leaving two large, empty parking lots motorists see as they enter the downtown district.

There was a slight reprieve in July 2009 when another auto dealership opened at the former Chrysler dealership. But that business was short lived and closed within six months, officials said.

The two properties have remained vacant since.

"That's the problem," Bender said. "Having those empty parking lots right there doesn't help generate business at all. Anything in there would be helpful."

To make it worse, the former Ford property is adjacent to the planned hotel site, which has been vacant since April 2009.

The 10-acre site on Route 12 near Eagle Point Road was targeted in 2008 for a 100-room hotel with an attached adult game center and tavern. However, after the land was cleared, the property's general manager was sued by the hotel's parent company amid allegations he had misused money intended for the project.

The lawsuit put the project on hold, but the dirt mounds are still visible.

"The land owners and the village have put pressure on the company to get the project going again," Bender said. "But, everything is still in limbo right now. It's very discouraging."