OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford. The White Inn on Main Street in Fredonia stands empty and unused March 7.

A key part of Fredonia’s history continues to have an uncertain future — with a tax auction coming soon.

The White Inn on East Main Street sits barren and closed to the public. Untouched snow covered the sidewalks and steps early last week until the OBSERVER walked to the front doors. It found a hand-written note taped to the glass, indicating the property is for sale.

The lights were on, but there was another piece of paper on the doors: An orange notice from National Grid of its intent to terminate electric service as of March 13 unless it gets $1,097.23 in unpaid bills.

On another visit Friday, the orange paper was gone, replaced by a lime green National Grid notice stating that the utility no longer planned to shut off service. The lights were still on inside, but again, no one appeared to be on the property.

Former owner Jeff Gambino lost control of the White Inn to his mortgage company, JG Funding Corp, when the property went into foreclosure in early 2018. A previous owner of the property, Robert Contiguglia, considered purchasing it in February 2018 but balked at Gambino’s asking price and walked away when Gambino rejected his counteroffer.

Gambino’s company, White Inn Real Estate Holdings, LLC, owes $160,074.14 in back taxes, according to a look on the Chautauqua County Real Property Tax Service’s online search engine (http://app.co.chautauqua.ny.us/cctaxonline/#search).

That figure includes unpaid taxes from 2016, 2017 and 2018, with interest and penalty fees tacked on. In addition, county/town taxes and school taxes for 2019 are also unpaid, though the 2019 tax year bill from the village of Fredonia — due July 2, 2018 — did get paid on Sept. 30.

That was apparently not enough to keep the matter out of state Supreme Court. A legal notice that ran recently in the OBSERVER affirms the foreclosure judgment and states there will be an auction of the property at 10 a.m. March 29 at the courthouse in Mayville.

Jim Caflisch, Chautauqua County director of real property tax services, did not return a phone call seeking comment on the White Inn’s tax situation.

Last fall, SUNY Fredonia’s Faculty Student Association floated a plan to buy and renovate the property, and convert it into a boutique hotel, restaurant and banquet facility. The Regional Economic Development Council announced a $220,000 grant in December to the Northern Chautauqua Local Economic Development Initiative for renovations of the hotel.

“No news on this front right now. Happy to discuss further if/when things develop,” wrote Dr. Kevin Kearns, SUNY Fredonia’s vice president for advancement, engagement and economic development, in response to an email inquiry on the status of the boutique hotel plan. Kearns described the plan to the OBSERVER in October.

Fredonia Village Attorney Dan Gard said Tuesday “the village has no comment at this time” on the White Inn situation.