Long-Term Loan, Related Party	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Long-Term Loan, Related Party [Abstract]
Long-Term Loan, Related Party	Note E. Long-Term Loan, Related Party On November 17, 2010, Empire entered into a loan agreement (the "Loan Agreement") with Kien Huat Realty III Limited ("Kien Huat"), pursuant to which Kien Huat agreed to make a short-term bridge loan in the principal amount of $35 million (the "Bridge Loan") to Empire, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Loan Agreement and represented by a convertible promissory note (the "Note"), dated November 17, 2010. Proceeds of the Bridge Loan were used to effectuate the repurchase of the Company's then outstanding Senior Notes in accordance with the terms of the Settlement Agreement between the Company and certain of the beneficial owners of the Senior Notes dated as of September 23, 2010. The Note provided that the Bridge Loan bears interest at a rate of 5% per annum, payable in cash in arrears monthly, during its initial term. The maturity date of the Bridge Loan was the earlier of the consummation of Empire's rights offering and June 30, 2011 (the "Outside Date"). As of May 20, 2011, the date of the consummation of the rights offering, certain conditions including (1) five business days have passed after the date on which the rights issued in the proposed rights offering expire and the offering of Empire's common stock pursuant thereto is terminated, (2) Empire prepaid the indebtedness in an amount equal to 100% of the aggregate amount of gross proceeds received by it pursuant to the rights offering, (3) the proceeds from the rights offering are insufficient to repay the Bridge Loan in full and Empire has not otherwise prepaid the Bridge Loan in full, and (4) no monetary or other material default as defined in the Loan Agreement is continuing, were satisfied, the maturity date of the remaining unpaid principal amount of the Bridge Loan was extended for a term of two years at an interest rate of 5% per annum convertible at a price equal to the exercise price of the rights issued in the rights offering (period of such extension is referred to as the "Extension Term"). Subject to and upon compliance with the provisions of the Loan Agreement, during the Extension Term, Kien Huat has the right to convert all or any portion of the principal sum evidenced by the Note such that the unconverted portion is $1,000 or a multiple of $1.00 in excess thereof into fully paid and non-assessable shares of Empire's common stock at a conversion rate of initially 377 shares of common stock per $1,000 in principal amount, which represents a conversion price of approximately $2.65 per share, subject to adjustment in accordance with the Loan Agreement. If, as of any date during the Extension Term (the "Measuring Date"), the average of the last reported bid prices of Empire's common stock for the twenty consecutive trading days as defined in the Loan Agreement, ending on the trading day prior to the Measuring Date exceeds 200% of the conversion price in effect on the Measuring Date, then Empire is entitled to elect that Kien Huat convert all of the principal sum evidenced by the Note into shares of its common stock in accordance with the terms and provisions of the Loan Agreement. If Empire does not elect to force conversion of the Note and there have been no events of default as defined in the Loan Agreement, Empire may voluntarily prepay the Bridge Loan in whole or in part, with all interest accrued through the applicable period, absent notice from Kien Huat of its election to convert the Note. The Company consummated its rights offering on May 20, 2011 and the proceeds were used to satisfy approximately $17.6 million of the Bridge Loan. Pursuant to the Loan Agreement, the Company has satisfied the conditions to extend the maturity date of the Bridge Loan to May 17, 2013.

Note E. Long-Term Loan, Related Party

On November 17, 2010, Empire entered into a loan agreement (the "Loan Agreement") with Kien Huat Realty III Limited ("Kien Huat"), pursuant to which Kien Huat agreed to make a short-term bridge loan in the principal amount of $35 million (the "Bridge Loan") to Empire, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Loan Agreement and represented by a convertible promissory note (the "Note"), dated November 17, 2010. Proceeds of the Bridge Loan were used to effectuate the repurchase of the Company's then outstanding Senior Notes in accordance with the terms of the Settlement Agreement between the Company and certain of the beneficial owners of the Senior Notes dated as of September 23, 2010.

The Note provided that the Bridge Loan bears interest at a rate of 5% per annum, payable in cash in arrears monthly, during its initial term. The maturity date of the Bridge Loan was the earlier of the consummation of Empire's rights offering and June 30, 2011 (the "Outside Date"). As of May 20, 2011, the date of the consummation of the rights offering, certain conditions including (1) five business days have passed after the date on which the rights issued in the proposed rights offering expire and the offering of Empire's common stock pursuant thereto is terminated, (2) Empire prepaid the indebtedness in an amount equal to 100% of the aggregate amount of gross proceeds received by it pursuant to the rights offering, (3) the proceeds from the rights offering are insufficient to repay the Bridge Loan in full and Empire has not otherwise prepaid the Bridge Loan in full, and (4) no monetary or other material default as defined in the Loan Agreement is continuing, were satisfied, the maturity date of the remaining unpaid principal amount of the Bridge Loan was extended for a term of two years at an interest rate of 5% per annum convertible at a price equal to the exercise price of the rights issued in the rights offering (period of such extension is referred to as the "Extension Term").

Subject to and upon compliance with the provisions of the Loan Agreement, during the Extension Term, Kien Huat has the right to convert all or any portion of the principal sum evidenced by the Note such that the unconverted portion is $1,000 or a multiple of $1.00 in excess thereof into fully paid and non-assessable shares of Empire's common stock at a conversion rate of initially 377 shares of common stock per $1,000 in principal amount, which represents a conversion price of approximately $2.65 per share, subject to adjustment in accordance with the Loan Agreement.

If, as of any date during the Extension Term (the "Measuring Date"), the average of the last reported bid prices of Empire's common stock for the twenty consecutive trading days as defined in the Loan Agreement, ending on the trading day prior to the Measuring Date exceeds 200% of the conversion price in effect on the Measuring Date, then Empire is entitled to elect that Kien Huat convert all of the principal sum evidenced by the Note into shares of its common stock in accordance with the terms and provisions of the Loan Agreement. If Empire does not elect to force conversion of the Note and there have been no events of default as defined in the Loan Agreement, Empire may voluntarily prepay the Bridge Loan in whole or in part, with all interest accrued through the applicable period, absent notice from Kien Huat of its election to convert the Note.

The Company consummated its rights offering on May 20, 2011 and the proceeds were used to satisfy approximately $17.6 million of the Bridge Loan. Pursuant to the Loan Agreement, the Company has satisfied the conditions to extend the maturity date of the Bridge Loan to May 17, 2013.