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| Empire Village Master Plan including Recreation Plan | |||
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Historical and Regional Context Located in the southwestern corner of Leelanau County in northwestern Michigan, Empire occupies over a square mile of land which abuts Lake Michigan at the junction of Michigan Highways 22 and 72. Two major sand dunes, contained within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, are located to the north and south of the Village. Portions of these dune complexes are located within the Village limits. Empire was incorporated as a Village in 1895. The original village and two additions were platted in 1892. At that time it was a bustling lumber town with a saw mill and loading wharf on Lake Michigan just south of South Bar Lake. At the turn of the century, Empire had a population of 609. In 1917 the lumber mill burned down and the population fell sharply, reaching less than 300 people by 1920. In the two decades following World War II, four other subdivisions were platted. These included South Bar Shores and Bacon's subdivisions along LaCore and Lakeview and Sunset subdivisions at LaCore and M-22. Most of the early settlers were associated with the lumber industry. After the demise of the sawmill, the timberlands were nearly all gone and the village lost many of its people to their original homes, to cities, or to new farms (homesteads) in the surrounding area. The various nationalities of the early village residents were Irish, Scotch, French, Scandinavian, Belgian, etc. These people started businesses, orchards and farms and became, for the most part, successful in their transitions after the demise of the local lumber industry. In the 1950's, Empire became the site of an Air Force base that provided some employment opportunities and boosted the Village population by 300. The base was scaled down, then phased out in 1988, but many of the retired personnel have remained in the area. The Air Force base is now a national park maintenance facility, with nine seasonal and year-round housing units on the site. Two Federal Aviation Administration radar domes are in use on the site as well. The National Park Service (NPS) is a visible, influential part of the Village of Empire. The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was formally established in 1970. Since January of 1987, the NPS administrative offices and Visitor Center have operated in a leased building on the eastern edge of the Village. Empire today is a village of 360 residents. It consists of several small seasonal specialty shops, restaurants/bars, a bank, lumberyard and retail businesses to meet the every day needs of the year round residents. The present economic base of Empire is the ever-growing tourism industry. The village is nestled in the midst of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore which attracts over 1.3 million visitors yearly. Tourist visitation estimates have risen annually since 1984. Agriculture, specifically apple and cherry orchards, have always been an important source of local employment. Many Empire residents do commute daily to the Traverse City area. It is also important to note that Empire has a growing number of retirees. All these factors must be kept in mind while planning Empire's future. The Master Plan including Recreation Plan is viewable using Adobe Reader, free downloadable software. "The Master Plan including Recreation Plan is provided here for reference purposes only. Before taking any action based upon this copy, please verify all official zoning regulations by contacting the Village Office:Click here to email the Deputy Clerk: or phone the Office:231-326-5466 Documents/Forms: |
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