Fox Lake's historic Mineola for sale on eBay

FOX LAKE — The historic Mineola Lounge and Marina is up for sale on a popular Internet auction website.

At one time famous for its connection to gangster Al Capone, the 128-year-old building at 91 Cora Avenue in Fox Lake has a starting minimum bid of $2 million.

The property includes about 17 acres of land and is located on the Chain O' Lakes which has approximately 25,000 recreational boats registered to it, said Mineola owner Pete Jakstas, Sr. in his eBay product description.

The property also comes with a full service marina, a home with five bedrooms, three full baths and three half baths.

The hotel has a lot of potential, but needs to be restored, according to Jakstas and local officials.

In April 2011 the Village of Fox Lake tried to condemn the property and said that it was at risk of collapsing.

Jakstas later however had a certified structural engineer inspect the building and that engineer reported no structural distress, sagging,bowing or other reasons that would keep the building from being labeled structurally sound.

Once Jakstas filed the engineer’s report with Fox Lake, officials removed the condemned signs from outside the Mineola after consulting with the village attorney.

The engineer did point out instances of water damage, windows that were blown out or needed to be replaced, and other cosmetic problems.

Some of the cosmetic problems were the result of a particularly harsh winter, Jakstas said at the time, and assured that issues would be addressed as the weather improved.

Before it was in the news for ill-repair, the Mineola was well-known as one of Al Capone's rest areas.

"He and his crew would come out to the Mineola to relax and get away from their problems as the Mineola was a safe house," Jakstas said in the Mineola's eBay description.

The Mineola Hotel is believed to be the largest wood frame building in the state, according to Jakstas. It was built in 1884 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of Interior and Parks and approved by Congress on Jan. 29, 1979, he said.

To see the listing, visit: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mineola-Lounge-and-Marina-/300703923980?pt=Commercial&hash=item460359bf0c