Amazing Jake's reaches the end of an amazing run

You, too, can own a piece of Amazing Jake's.

The amazing saga of Amazing Jake's will draw to a close on Saturday, when the entire contents of the 65,000 square-foot facility at 1400 South Abilene in Aurora will be auctioned off by Super Auctions. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for anyone to bring their favorite entertainment experience into the comfort of their own home," promises Robert Storment, president of Super Auctions.

The list of items for sale include coin-operated arcade video games, billiard equipment, kiddie rides, a carousel, bumper cars and the entire inventory of restaurant equipment, including pizza stations, tables, coolers and bar equipment. You can preview the concents from 1 to 7 p.m. tomorrow; live bidding starts at 10:15 a.m. May 8.

Art Cormier -- renowned in Denver both for Smiley's laundromat and the Regency Hotel -- had taken over the giant funplex last year, with plans to change it into Smiley's Fun Center. But neighbors didn't like the fun he had in mind: live music and big parties that had drawn many complaints when he hosted them at the Regency.

Cormier never formally submitted an application to the City of Aurora that would have allowed the changes he wanted to make at Amazing Jake's, though, and his lease on the space officially ended January 12.

By then, Cormier had a new interest: Fun City, the former Mr. Biggs (and Fat City before that) at 9670 West Coal Mine Avenue in Littleton, which could soon have an amazing story of its own.