Long shuttered Empire school ready for rebirth

By Ross Boissoneau

Sun contributor

The Empire schoolhouse may have a second life if owner Joe Van Esley has his way — and gets enough others to buy into his vision.

Van Esley and consultant Bruce Johnston hosted a presentation on their plans for the landmark building at a community meeting on Feb. 4, followed by a shorter presentation that evening to the Empire Planning Commission. They mapped out an ambitious plan to restore the long-empty schoolhouse to provide opportunities for various retail, office, restaurant and/or community space.

“We’re looking for input,” said Johnston. His firm, Revitalize Inc., is working on the ambitious plans with Van Esley to modernize the building without changing its basic configuration in what they call a historic revitalization project.

That’s the reason their vision does not include a residential component, other than the separate kindergarten building. They looked into the feasibility of adding residential space in the unused attic space, but doing so would have been both costly and required breaking through the roof to add ventilation, windows, etc., destroying the historical aspect of the property.

Johnston noted the unique opportunity the building presents. “As historians we don’t (often) get a chance to work on all-wood structures. We consider it precious,” he said. While the renovation may include repairing or replacing things like windows and siding, both he and Van Esley said they will duplicate the features that have always been part of the schoolhouse.

Their goal is to convert the one-time classrooms into office, retail or other spaces, while leaving the gym space open. Van Esley and Johnston said that space could become anything from a fitness center to a restaurant to a brewpub, even smaller spaces with movable dividers, but they will not break it up with permanent walls.

Johnston puts the cost at approximately $2.5 million. While he reiterated numerous times that things are still in the planning stage and nothing, including pricing, is set in stone, the marketing plan provided sets a lease rate of $20 per square foot triple net. “What the village wants is most important, but it has to make money,” he said.

When asked about a timeline for the project, Johnston said the plan is to submit all necessary applications in March and break ground sometime this year, but he did not provide a completion date. “Funding is everything,” he said, which potentially includes TIF funding, grants and other options, in addition to commitments by renters.

“We’re working with the MEDC (Michigan Economic Development Corporation) and hope to have funding from them,” said Van Esley. In other conversations, he said if they start this year, it should open sometime in 2026.

The plans are still in a nascent stage as they look for entities willing to invest in the project. That includes financing sources such as potential tenants along with governmental funding agencies. “They won’t back it unless they know it will work,” he said of the latter. “A letter of interest shows marketability to the state.” He noted that such a letter of support is not a contract and doesn’t commit the party to renting, but demonstrates the project’s appeal and its viability to the MEDC and others.

Tamara Hoffbauer has a unique perspective on the project. The executive director of Oliver Art Center in Frankfort, her family owned the building from 1977 until selling it to Van Esley in 2005. “I feel it’s a solid plan. It’s a great way to do it with the most preservation,” she commented.

“They appreciated the structure,” she said of her parents. “They had retail in a unique property in Indianapolis and had similar ideas (for the schoolhouse). It was in really bad condition when we bought it. We spent a lot of time and money on the foundation and the roof to stabilize the building.” Her parents eventually gave up on their idea when her father changed careers and became a hot air balloon pilot.

Hoffbauer is hopeful about the viability of the project from the standpoint of renting out space. “More people are looking to move (and/or) start a business than ever,” she added.

Mas Wendell is a longtime village resident who is a member of the National Preservation Society. He also supports the idea of a historic renovation. “People are into preserving the charm of the village,” he said.

“It was an informative presentation,” agreed Maggie Bacon, a village of Empire trustee who is an ex officio member of the Empire Planning Commission. She is looking forward to seeing specific plans brought before the village and township.

Van Esley sees the project as an investment in the community where he intends to spend more time. “I’ll have a coffee shop, I could teach karate, my daughter yoga,” Van Esley said.

He got a head start on his renovation plans this past year when he had a DC2 fast charging station installed on the site. He envisions people visiting his planned coffee shop while charging their cars.

One potential pitfall is the fact the village does not have a sewer system, necessitating the installation of new septic onsite. Both Bacon and Hoffbauer expressed concern that could be a limiting factor. “My bigger concern is the viability of putting in a sewage system,” said Hoffbauer, with a plan that already includes multiple bathrooms, a potential sauna and locker room and shower facilities.

Van Esley said he is contacting various entities who might be interested in renting out space for some sort of eatery or similar establishment. “I’ve tried a couple of brewpub (owners) and restaurant brokers,” he said. If he is able to find a restaurateur that wants a portion of the space, it will require a more extensive septic system, which will inevitably be placed on (or under) the portion of the lot between the school and the road.

Van Esley seems undaunted by that prospect, or really, any other. “We have in the budget if there’s no sewer to put in our own system. We will have to take down trees,” he said, referring to the large pine trees along the street. But he has a plan for that too. “We have seedlings.”

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