From what it's looking like right now, it looks like they're just about done.”

Community Development Director John Hinzman

Nearly three years after flames tore through the Hastings Creamery, a different kind of fire now appears to be driving activity at the site, urgency sparked by a June 15 deadline imposed by the Hastings City Council.
Cleanup and demolition crews have moved quickly in recent weeks, transforming one of Hastings’ most frustrating and visible properties at a pace few expected, including the property owners law firm.
At the corner of Vermillion Street and 18th Street, where blackened debris and collapsed walls stood as a reminder of the devastating September 2023 fire, the property now looks dramatically different. Demolition and cleanup work are nearing completion, more than a month ahead of the June 15 deadline imposed by the Hastings City Council.
For many residents, the rapid progress has come as both a relief and a surprise after years of delays, unanswered questions and uncertainty surrounding one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.
Community Development Director John Hinzman said the city council’s order appears to have achieved the desired result.
“Yeah, the council gave them until June 15 to complete, and so they look to certainly be on track to meet that one,” Hinzman said. “From what it's looking like right now, it looks like they're just about done.”
The speed of the cleanup stands in stark contrast to the lengthy legal and insurance delays that kept the site largely untouched for much of the past two years.
“The big hang up on that was with their insurance company,” Hinzman explained. “There was a lot of back and forth with the insurance company over what they were going to settle with the creamery on. So, we were in constant communication with their attorneys trying to push that along.”
According to Hinzman, the unresolved insurance settlement effectively froze any meaningful progress.
“But that was really the crux of it that really delayed things,” he said. “I think, from the creamery standpoint, for them to move forward, they need to have the property cleaned up and sold so they can move on. But they were not willing to move forward with cleanup until they were ready with the insurance part of it.”
The cleanup marks another major step in the downfall of a business that had been woven into the identity of Hastings for more than a century.
Since 1913, the Hastings Cooperative Creamery served generations of residents with milk, butter, ice cream and the beloved dairy store that became a local tradition for countless families. The business survived wars, recessions and changing agricultural economies before entering a turbulent final chapter in late 2022 and 2023.
The troubles escalated after repeated wastewater discharge violations cited by the Metropolitan Council. Officials claimed the creamery discharged excessive fats, oils and grease into the sewer system, ultimately leading to the suspension of sanitary sewer service in June 2023.
At the time, former creamery president Justin Malone disputed the allegations and argued the reported discharge amounts were impossible. Still, the sewer disconnection forced the business into an expensive emergency operation.
Wastewater had to be pumped into temporary holding tanks and hauled daily to St. Paul at a reported cost of roughly $7,000 per day. Ownership also spent hundreds of thousands of dollars attempting to bring the facility into compliance.
The financial burden proved too much.
The creamery officially closed on Aug. 18, 2023, ending 110 years of operations. The newer dairy store, which had opened only a year earlier, soon followed.
The closure impacted far more than the business itself. Roughly 45 dairy farm families who supplied the creamery suddenly lost a major milk processor. Some farmers reported being forced to dump milk because they had nowhere else to send it on short notice.
The emotional weight of the closure was felt throughout the community.
“It’s sad for the community after 110 years of that business being here,” Mayor Mary Fasbender said at the time.
Just weeks later came the fire that changed the property forever.
At 10:34 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2023, Hastings Fire Department was dispatched to the creamery after reports of flames coming from the now-vacant building. By the time crews arrived, heavy black smoke and flames had engulfed much of the structure.
The fire quickly escalated into one of the largest emergency responses the city had seen in years.
Mutual aid poured in from departments across the region as firefighters battled the blaze defensively, fearing structural collapse inside the aging building. Concerns also mounted over ammonia and other chemicals stored on site.
Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order covering neighborhoods around the creamery, advising residents to close windows, shut off air conditioning systems and remain indoors due to the heavy smoke and chemical concerns.
Firefighters worked through the night as smoke drifted across Vermillion Street and into nearby neighborhoods. Officials feared the flames could potentially spread to nearby historic and commercial properties if winds shifted.
The fire was not fully brought under control until around 2 a.m., though crews remained on scene much longer searching for hot spots and stabilizing the structure. A rekindle two days later brought firefighters back to the property once again.
Despite the scale of the disaster, no injuries were reported among firefighters, emergency responders or civilians.
The fire investigation remains ongoing nearly three years later, and no official cause has been publicly released.
In the aftermath of the fire, the burned remains of the creamery became an increasingly frustrating sight for residents and city officials alike. Piles of debris lingered for months, occasionally blowing onto neighboring properties as disputes over insurance and future plans dragged on.
The city issued citations and repeatedly pressed ownership for progress. Still, movement remained slow until earlier this year when the city council imposed the June 15 cleanup deadline and formal demolition efforts finally began.
Now, with much of the site cleared, attention is slowly turning toward what comes next for the prominent corridor property.
According to Hinzman, the current ownership group still controls the land and appears likely to market it for private redevelopment rather than transferring it to the city.
“I believe the plan is for them to sell the property to another entity to redevelop the site,” Hinzman said.
The property’s location along Vermillion Street could make it attractive for future commercial development, especially with planned road improvements nearby.
“With the Vermillion Street reconstruction, there is going to be a stoplight at 18th Street,” Hinzman said. “So that's going to increase the commercial viability of that site.”
He added that multiple development possibilities could emerge, depending on what a future buyer proposes. Commercial uses appear likely along Vermillion Street, while residential concepts such as apartments or townhomes could potentially fit portions farther east on the property.
Any redevelopment proposal would still require review and approval through the city’s planning and council processes.
For now, however, many residents are simply relieved to finally see visible progress after years of uncertainty.
The creamery site has long represented both pride and heartbreak for Hastings. For generations, it stood as a symbol of the city’s agricultural roots and small-town identity. Its closure marked the end of an era, while the fire transformed a familiar landmark into a painful reminder of loss and unanswered questions.
As excavators and cleanup crews continue their work, the property is beginning to shed the scars that have dominated the corridor since 2023. What eventually replaces the creamery remains unknown, but for the first time in years, the future of the site appears to be moving forward instead of standing still.