"Quite honestly, it's the only reason I did it."
That's how Michelle Hemeyer, who owns both the Northport Pub & Grille building and the restaurant inside it, explained her decision to sell to the Leelanau Township Library. She told The Ticker in August that someone keeping the restaurant open would have been fine with her. But selling to the library "made it more personal, and I love what they're going to be using it for."
She also said closing was "a very heart wrenching decision." Both feelings are behind what is now happening at 116 S. Waukazoo St. One of the biggest rooms in Northport is moving out of commercial use and becoming public space. The schedule for that change is longer and more spelled out than most people realize.
A building that has changed hands before
This isn't the first time the building has turned over. Tucker's of Northport opened there in May 2014 as a restaurant, bar and bowling alley. The Ticker reported in April 2020 that it had closed for good after first shutting down that March. Hemeyer opened NPG in the same space in 2021. She has now run it for more than five years.
Each time before, the building went from one restaurant to another. This time it would leave the restaurant business completely. Hemeyer told The Ticker that some people in town are excited about a library, and plenty of others will miss the restaurant.
Why the library wants 116 S. Waukazoo
Right now the Leelanau Township Library shares the township hall building at 119 E. Nagonaba. Board president Mark Morton says the space is 2,800 square feet and "does not meet the needs of the community."
The demand traces back to a vote. In November 2022, township voters approved independent governance for the library and its own millage, 1,058 to 492. The Ticker describes the levy as 0.5 mills. Morton says that since the split from the township, the library has added hours, more people are coming in, and circulation is up. The library is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:30 to 5, Wednesday until 6, and Saturday from 9:30 to 1. More use in a room that never got bigger is what pushed the board toward the NPG building.
The plan didn't start out as buying the whole building. Morton and Hemeyer both said the early talks were about the library buying part of it and adding on. Things changed when Hemeyer decided to retire and sell all of it.
"That solved all those problems because renovating an existing footprint is a lot cheaper than putting an addition on," Morton said. He listed what the extra space would hold: room for books, study rooms and "a good-sized community room."
Renovation comes later. Turning a restaurant and bowling alley into a library will take real work. Morton said the board has rough cost estimates but won't pay designers until it owns the building.
The calendar, as of the September board meeting
The dates come from press coverage and the library's own board minutes. They have changed once already:
- February 2026: The library board signed an option agreement to buy the NPG building, according to the Leelanau Enterprise.
- Aug. 26, 2026: The Ticker reported there was "no firm timeline for the purchase."
- Sept. 2, 2026: The Enterprise reported the library "may acquire a new home by the end of year" and was in a "quiet fundraising phase."
- Sept. 21, 2026: The board unanimously approved an amendment to its purchase option with Gimme Shelter LLC. The draft minutes say Hemeyer affirmed she was willing to extend the option to March 2027 and plans to keep NPG open through 2026. They also say treasurer Rick is confident the deal will close by March.
The September minutes are newer than the "end of year" estimate. They point to a closing early in 2027, with the restaurant still serving for the rest of this year. The minutes are still marked draft, and no closing date has been announced.
The same meeting approved a $15,000 flat fee for a feasibility study by Quinn Consulting Associates. That approval depends on clarifying the proposal's terms and on input from the library's Capital Campaign Committee. Trustees also discussed adding a project page to the library's website. It would answer questions about the tax increase, operating costs and lost village revenue, and explain how the library is already raising money.
If you're planning a few last dinners at NPG this fall, the Village of Northport has scheduled a Rose Street culvert replacement between Nagonaba and Second Street from Sept. 21 to Nov. 6, 2026, with road and sidewalk closures at the work zone.
Three money figures that measure different things
The price is $1.1 million. How much the library has toward it depends on which document you read. These numbers aren't a running total. Each one measures something different.
| Figure | What it describes | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | Money raised toward the purchase | The Ticker, Aug. 26, 2026 |
| About $300,000 | Cash in the bank from running a surplus since the millage passed, saved with this move in mind | Draft board minutes, Sept. 21, 2026 |
| $5,300 | Balance in the account labeled Capital Campaign | Library balance sheet as of Aug. 31, 2026 |
The small capital campaign balance fits the "quiet phase" the Enterprise described. Morton told The Ticker a public campaign would be announced in the near future, and that the library is also looking at foundations and grants.
The board's own minutes show one more number. Trustees discussed what could happen to tax revenue if the building moves into library ownership, and they looked up NPG's current property taxes. Just under $14,000 goes to the township and $3,400 goes to the village. The minutes record the village's $3,400 a year as very small compared with its total tax revenue. One trustee suggested pointing to the economic benefits a new library could bring to help offset the loss.
The same corner, a second place to learn
A short walk from NPG, Northport Trading Post sits next to the village gas station where W. Nagonaba meets S. Waukazoo. It is making a similar move. Scot and Jennifer Wack opened the family-owned rock shop in 2020. In September they announced plans to buy another property in Northport and build what they call the Michigan Geological Discovery Center.
"We're also aware that there may be changes in the future for the property where Northport Trading Post is currently located," Jennifer Wack told the Enterprise. "Rather than wait and see what happens, we decided it was time to look ahead."
The plans are mostly about teaching. The Wacks listed hands-on geology education, rock polishing and lapidary demonstrations, workshops, school and homeschool programs, and Great Lakes and conservation education. A local couple who run Rock Bottom Candle Co. could share the property. The Wacks already teach polishing classes and have written a rockhounding book. They also run a Facebook rock ID group, "Leland Blue and other Michigan stones," with about 30,000 followers.
Their fundraiser is live on a "Support the Vision" page. It takes contributions through PayPal or by check and lists no goal or current total. No property has been named. The shop's own site says its illustrations of the future center are concepts, not final plans.
Both projects are at about the same stage. Each has a vision and a fundraising effort, and neither has closed on a property. If both go through, two of the best-known spots near the corner of Waukazoo and Nagonaba would turn into places built around learning. Both depend on what the community gives.
For now, NPG plans to keep serving through the end of 2026. The library board expects to finish raising the $1.1 million and close on the building by March 2027.
When a well-known building in a small village changes from a business to a public use, people start asking about zoning, taxes, and what the change could mean for the properties nearby. If you own property in or near downtown Northport and want to talk through how a change like this could affect your plans, I'm glad to sit down and go over it with you. Tom Alflen | Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
