Nine months after a fire at the closed Hastings Cooperative Creamery complex, city residents are growing impatient that little or no cleanup is being done at the site.
City Community Development Director John Hinzman was quizzed by members of the Hastings Economic Development and Redevelopment Authority at its meeting Thursday, April 11 on when the site will be cleared of piles of debris left behind from the blaze that broke out Sept. 13, a month after the Hastings Cooperative Creamery ceased operations.
“The neighborhood has made it clear to me that something's got to be done,” City Councilmember Dave Pemble said.
After a HEDRA member asked about the cleanup, Hinzman said, “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.”
Hinzman said the delay seems to center around whether the company’s insurance deems that some of the facility could be rebuilt or if the site will be completely cleared. In the meantime, debris is blowing from the property, located just across the street from the historic LeDuc Mansion.
“They had promised to put up a board fence on 17th Street, so we don’t see the mess in there. They said they’d clean up the mess that’s been drifting out of that site on the parking lot right by the LeDuc.”
If the fence isn’t put up, the city will arrange for it and assess the cost to the property.
“I have given them, I think, to the 22nd (of April) to put that up. I’ve also contracted with Precision Landscaping to put it up on the 23rd if that doesn’t occur, so one way or another that part will be done.” Hinzman said. “With their weekly conversation as far as the rest of the site goes, there’s not been a determination for what the loss value would be, whether it’d be a total loss or what type of loss it would be. They’re waiting on that to happen before they make any decisions. They expect that to happen sooner or later, but it seems to have been at that point for quite some time. I don’t have any further information there.”
“I’m looking at it from two standpoints. One, what is some of the worst aspects of the site right now and how do we take care of those things. And to me, that is the view from 17th Street and the garbage that keeps washing out in the parking lot and taking immediate action on that one and meeting with them weekly to try to get the rest of this thing done,” said Hinzman.
While the site has been cleared for cleanup, the Minnesota Department of Safety has yet to announce the close of its investigation into the fire. Hinzman told HEDRA last month that the business has been cited by the city with failing to comply with an order to clean up debris at the site.
The vacant creamery building had closed in August after 110 years of serving local farms and the community. The Hastings Cooperative Creamery closed Aug. 18 and its Dairy Store across Vermillion Street days later.
In June, the creamery was disconnected from the sewer system by the Metropolitan Council after the business reportedly leaked thousands of gallons of milk into the city sewer system. The Hastings Creamery was cited with six violations over the previous seven months.
The Hastings Creamery shutdown left 45 farms that it purchased product from to find other places to sell their milk.
The 11-alarm fire was called in at the Hastings Creamery, 1701 Vermillion St., at 10:34 p.m. Sept. 13. By the time fire crews arrived on the scene, large plumes of black smoke could be seen from the building. Moments later, flames enveloped the entire middle of the property. Firefighters controlled the blaze by about 2 am. Sept. 14 and were called to the scene days later for flare ups.
The Hastings Creamery was given an initial deadline of Feb. 9 for site clean-up.
