By Bruce Karnick

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Kicking off a new Rivertown Days after last years town festival was cancelled was something that needed to be special. The Confluence team knew they could help, so they held a kickoff event on Thursday night. Friends, family, sponsors, partners, and local officials gathered to celebrate the return of Rivertown days and to highlight the updated timeline for the completion of the Confluence project.

The events started with a gathering on the top of the parking ramp across Second Street from the Confluence. Snacks and beverages were provided by Green Mill and the School House Scoop. Pat Regan then brought the group around the outside of the property to give them a tour and explain the layout of the building.

The west wing of the building will house a 67-room hotel that Regan explained will have the “best views of the Mississippi River.” Also on the west side is the hotel parking lot and a small public lot.

The north wing will contain 18 apartments on the upper floors and the first floor will have businesses. One business that is scheduled to move in is Port of Hastings Outfitters, an e-bike rental operation. See CONFLUENCE Page 3

The Cupola’s of the confluence were lit to kick off the Hastings Rivertown Days celebration. Photo by Bruce Karnick Confluence

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The east wing will have the remainder of the businesses, including an upscale restaurant and the hotel entrance.

Outside on the riverfront, there is a public park with a large deck that will be available for reservations for private events. Near the deck is another space available for private party rentals.

Once the tour completed, the group met back on the upper level for a short presentation. First, Regan spoke, thanking everyone for coming, including former Mayor Paul Hicks, current Mayor, Mary Fasbender, former and current city council members, priests from the Archdiocese of St. Paul, and Representative Tony Jurgens, to name a few. Regan continued to thank the City of Hastings, the Hastings Area Chamber of Commerce, IDM properties and his family.

Various speakers spoke of the plan to be open by summer of 2022 before the lighting ceremony of the cupolas. The cupolas are able to change to all colors of the spectrum individually and can be programmed to change on a timer. The cupolas stayed with the Raider Blue and Gold the longest of the various color changes, a nod to the school system.

Pat Regan gives a tour around the outside of the confluence to community members, supporters and officials explaining the plan for the building and the grounds. Photo by Bruce Karnick

The old metal floor pieces from the Hudson Manufacturing building, now the Confluence, were used to create a variety of statues that will be placed around the grounds.

Photo by Bruce Karnick