Three years after a massive fire tore through the former Hastings Cooperative Creamery complex on Vermillion Street, the long-blighted site could finally see movement toward demolition and cleanup.
The Hastings City Council was scheduled to take action Tuesday night, Feb. 16, to approve a resolution and order requiring the owner of the property at 1701 Vermillion St. to demolish and remove the hazardous structure. If approved, the order would give the owner until June 15, 2026, to complete the work or face court action and potential city-led demolition with the costs assessed against the property.
The sprawling creamery building has sat vacant and heavily damaged since a Sept. 13, 2023 fire ripped through the facility, drawing 11 fire departments and keeping crews on scene for approximately 20 hours. The fire, which began in the loading dock area, caused extensive interior damage and left the building structurally compromised.
In the years since, the site has remained an eyesore along one of Hastings’ primary corridors and a growing concern for city officials and nearby residents.
According to a City Council memorandum prepared by City Attorney Cynthia Kirchoff, the property is owned by 3D LLC. The building’s certificate of occupancy had already been revoked on Aug. 25, 2023, less than three weeks before the fire, due to disconnection of sewer and water services and other violations. Since the blaze, the structure has not been repaired or cleaned up.
A Feb. 10, 2026 memorandum from Building Official Lonnell Johnson and Community Development Director John Hinzman outlines a long timeline of city efforts to bring the property into compliance. Those efforts included repeated emails, inspections, compliance letters and meetings with the owner and the owner’s attorney.
On Feb. 13, 2024, a city inspection revealed violations of the Hastings City Code, including debris remaining from the fire, unsheltered storage and inoperable or abandoned semi-trailers on the site. A compliance letter sent Feb. 16, 2024 required removal of debris and trailers and demanded a timeline for repair or demolition by March 4, 2024. Despite that order, cleanup did not occur.
“As of April, the pile remained,” Hinzman said during an April 11, 2024 meeting of the Hastings Economic Development and Redevelopment Authority. “It’s not moving much, that’s for sure. I sent them a letter. I’ve been in weekly conversations the last couple of weeks with them.”
At that time, Hinzman said delays were tied to insurance questions and uncertainty over whether the facility would be rebuilt or demolished entirely. More than a year later, those insurance issues remain unresolved, according to city documents.
The most recent inspection, conducted Nov. 5, 2025, paints a troubling picture of a structure that has continued to deteriorate. During that inspection, city staff — including the building official, community development director, fire marshal, police chief and deputy police chief — toured the interior and exterior of the building. The owner and the owner’s attorney were present.
Officials found that a portion of the roof had collapsed, and other areas were riddled with holes, allowing rainwater and snow to enter the building. Because the structure has been open to the elements for more than two years, water has pooled on the floors, damaging contents and creating unsafe conditions.
Photographs included in the city’s report show sunlight streaming through gaping holes in the roof and large sections of ceiling missing. Debris is scattered throughout the building, with some materials floating in standing water. In several images, broken equipment, charred structural components and warped metal framing are visible amid puddles and rubble. The report notes that debris and litter made it difficult for inspectors to walk through parts of the building during the November inspection.
In addition to structural instability, city officials documented serious security concerns. The owner attempted to secure the building by erecting a makeshift plywood wall at the north loading dock. However, inspectors determined the building could still be accessed by removing the temporary wall or by entering through an unsecured overhead door. Police had previously reported that children were accessing the roof of the building, prompting further warnings to the owner in November 2024.
City staff ultimately concluded that the building is severely damaged, unoccupiable and that the cost of repair exceeds its value.
Under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 463, cities have authority to order the demolition and removal of hazardous buildings. The process begins with an official report, followed by a City Council resolution and order requiring the owner to act within a specified timeframe. If the owner fails to comply or does not contest the order within 20 days, the city may seek a default judgment in district court. If a court affirms the order and the owner still does not comply, the city may demolish the building itself and assess the costs as a lien or special assessment against the property. The proposed resolution finds that the damaged creamery structure constitutes a hazard to public safety, health and welfare and orders the owner to demolish and remove the building and remaining debris by June 15, 2026.
In recommending approval, city staff cited the exposed interior, collapsed roof sections and ongoing risk to the public.
A long-standing community frustration
The former Hastings Cooperative Creamery has long been a recognizable landmark along Vermillion Street. Since the fire, however, it has stood as a visible reminder of stalled progress and uncertainty. Residents have lodged complaints about weeds, junk and abandoned trailers on the site. Neighbors have also expressed concern about debris blowing onto adjacent properties and the risk posed by trespassers entering the unstable structure.
City officials say they have attempted for more than two years to work cooperatively with the owner, but the lack of meaningful cleanup has left them little choice but to initiate formal hazardous building proceedings. If the council approves the resolution and the owner complies, demolition could be completed by mid-summer, clearing the way for a fresh start at one of the city’s most prominent commercial corridors.
For many in Hastings, the potential demolition represents more than removal of a burned-out building. It signals the possibility of finally closing a difficult chapter that began with flames and smoke on a September night in 2023 — and turning the page toward redevelopment and renewal.