Out with the old, in with the new.
People driving along Glenmere Road in Empire at the end of August may have noticed the pre-renovation sale happening on the front porch of the historic Glen Lake Manor. Old treasures out of the 118-year-old building included everything from books, jewelry, and lamps from the rooms on the second floor, to furniture like the old chairs and the chandelier from the restaurant that once stood there.
Susan Rife, the owner of the Manor, has been clearing out the building and putting items up for sale since the beginning of August. Some of the household items that didn’t sell from the first sale, like lawn and desk chairs, children’s books and other knick knacks, were donated to the Empire Lions Club.
While renovation plans have been underway for the last two years, Rife said they’re slowly but surely making progress to transform the space into something that maintains the legacy of the Manor while also updating amenities within the building.
“There’ve been a lot of people inquiring about what’s happening… and I think that in itself is rewarding to me just to get the word out that we’re here and doing something with it,” Susan said. “We’re going to want to bring it back to its full potential, it’s a very slow process… I’m trying to make room now, to clear out so we can start construction.”
While the weekend sale just wrapped up, Susan said if there is a particular vintage item someone is looking for, such as iron bed frames, older bicycles, and other antiques, to get in touch with her.
“The chandeliers were up in the dining room and we replaced those and put new light fixtures in, so we’re selling some of that,” she said. “And we’re selling some of the furniture, like the (blue) desk. It was in one of the cottages, and I just painted it to make it more modern looking. The chairs are the original chairs that my sister had in the restaurant, so those are for sale. The iron bistro sets were out here on the front porch, and the lamps were in the rooms upstairs.”
After five months of review and revisions by the Empire Township planning commission, a special-use permit application for the site was approved in August, making way for plans to move forward. The permit will allow for things on the property like a dining space, commercial kitchen, public lounge, a marketplace and gift shop, nine guest bedrooms with private baths, three rental cottages, and contracted private gatherings.
According to the Glen Lake Manor Findings of Fact document submitted to the planning commission, the construc- tion timeline will commence when landuse and building permits have been issued. A construction timeline of 18-24 months broken down into quarters was submitted though.
In the first quarter and following township approval, it noted that construction documents would be prepared, as well as finding a contractor, applying for permits, and a temporary parking/ staging area for construction would be made. In the second quarter, landscaping and construction would begin, and the installation of a new septic system, and restoration of things in the Manor like the lounge and the dining room would commence. There would also be kitchen enhancements, the start of second floor construction and repairs, and the build of a stairwell and elevator shaft. The restoration of cottages would follow this.
“The whole process of getting permission to do anything — you have to go through steps — and it could take two years for the construction, too,” she said. “We don’t know yet until we get the right contractor and people in place and all our permits approved.”
Construction would continue in the third through the eighth quarter, with all construction, including a parking lot and landscaping, finished in the ninth quarter. In the 10th quarter, final inspections and cleans would be completed before opening to the public.
“Now the real work begins. It’s been a process, but the reality is now kind of hitting me that we’re moving forward,” she said. “The longer the project takes to get approval, the more expensive it’s getting because we find out little quirks about a 118-year-old building that until we actually get into the construction, we don’t know. There may be surprises behind the wall, but we want to make it all safe and bring it up to code and make it a place where people want to stay.”
The project has many moving parts, but the vision to restore the manor property and business to offer warm hospitality, casual fare, private gatherings, quality lodging and exceptional guest experiences has remained steadfast since Susan announced her intentions two years ago. The manor has been in Susan’s family for four generations now. Her parents first bought the property in 1949, Susan said, so her family is the third in its history to own and maintain it.
“It’s been in my family for 70 years… I feel like it’s kind of my legacy that I want to bring it back to what it could be,” she said. “It’s a beautiful view, I want other people to enjoy it. I grew up here working every summer, and I think it’s got a lot of potential, and I think just the opportunity of being able to bring it back is important to me. It’s a labor of love.”
To learn more about plans for the Glen Lake Manor, go to glenlakemanor.com.
Enterprise photo by Meakalia Previch-Liu
