The reconstruction of Highway 61 through Hastings will be about much more than replacing pavement, improving intersections and moving traffic through the city. It also presents an opportunity to transform Vermillion Street into a more attractive, welcoming corridor that reflects the character of the community.
Just how much that transformation should cost — and how much the city can afford — became the central question during a lengthy discussion at the Hastings City Council meeting Monday, Oct. 5.
Council members reviewed recommendations from the city's Highway 61 Visual Quality Committee, which has spent several months studying landscaping, decorative lighting, pedestrian amenities, public art and other improvements that could be incorporated into the major reconstruction project.
While council members generally expressed appreciation for the committee's work and the vision presented, concerns about costs, long-term maintenance and the extent of decorative lighting prompted the council to postpone a decision on lighting for two weeks.
The council did make one decision, voting to eliminate proposed protective bollards along the Todd Field retaining wall from consideration.
The Highway 61 reconstruction, being planned by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) in cooperation with the city, will extend from Third Street to 36th Street. Construction is currently scheduled primarily for 2028 and 2029.
Public Works Director Ryan Stempski introduced the presentation, turning it over to landscape architect Bruce Chamberlain of TLAL-LI Collaborative, the consulting firm working with the city on visual quality and streetscape design.
Chamberlain, who grew up in Hastings and has worked on numerous community projects over the years, explained that the committee's mission was to look beyond the engineering requirements of the highway and consider how the finished corridor should look and feel.
The committee envisioned a street that would make people feel welcome and safe, encourage visitors to explore the community and create a stronger sense of place.
One of the guiding principles, Chamberlain explained, was that Vermillion Street should become a connection between neighborhoods and businesses rather than a barrier separating them.
He described the committee's desire for the highway to be "authentically Hastings, a zipper, not a barrier."
The goal is a corridor that is attractive, walkable, memorable and distinctly Hastings — a place where people want to stop and shop rather than simply drive through.
One of the committee's major recommendations is to recognize three different character districts along the highway, with streetscape improvements reflecting the surrounding neighborhoods and development.
The northern section, called Traditional Hastings, would extend from the Mississippi River bridge to Highway 55. It would feature a classic design that complements the city's historic downtown and established neighborhoods.
The Midtown district, from Highway 55 to the Vermillion River, would have a more contemporary appearance.
Southtown, extending from the Vermillion River to 36th Street, would also feature contemporary design elements.
Rather than making the entire corridor look identical, the committee recommended using streetlights, banners and other features to distinguish the three districts while maintaining common elements throughout.
Street trees would provide one of the most important unifying features.
Chamberlain said there are currently approximately 50 to 60 trees along the corridor, and many could be lost because of their condition or the reconstruction itself.
The committee strongly supported creating a more substantial tree canopy, with trees planted wherever space, driveway access and traffic visibility allow.
Other landscaping recommendations include planted medians, boulevard landscaping, ornamental grasses, shrubs, flowers and green stormwater infrastructure.
The committee also studied benches and other furnishings, decorative pavement, fencing, retaining walls, gateway monuments, banners, wayfinding signs and public art.
Chamberlain presented conceptual designs showing how those elements could be incorporated into the reconstruction.
At Fifth Street, for example, decorative concrete could be used in the median while maintaining emergency vehicle access to the nearby fire station. Landscaping and banners could provide visual interest without interfering with traffic operations.
Similar improvements could be incorporated near Seventh Street and at planned roundabouts.
The committee recommended buff-colored concrete with decorative scoring in selected locations rather than more expensive paving materials.
The concepts remain preliminary, and many of the individual improvements will require additional design work and cost estimates before final decisions are made.
One of the largest areas of discussion involved ornamental pedestrian lighting, particularly in the northern portion of the corridor.
The proposal included pedestrian-scale, approximately 15-foot-tall acorn-style fixtures to complement the taller roadway lighting required for the highway.
The decorative lights would help establish the traditional appearance of the northern district and improve the pedestrian environment.
However, the price raised concerns.
Council members discussed an estimated cost approaching $800,000 for the proposed decorative lighting. They questioned whether the number of fixtures could be reduced or whether the lights could be concentrated in the most heavily traveled pedestrian areas.
Council Member Mya Beck suggested examining whether the decorative lighting could be limited to a shorter section of the highway rather than extending as far south as originally proposed.
Other council members raised questions about the need for additional lighting near existing businesses and Todd Field, where lighting is already present.
The potential effect of new lighting on nearby residential properties also entered the discussion, including concerns about light shining into homes.
Council Member Tim Lawrence sought additional information on lighting costs and whether reducing the number of fixtures would provide meaningful savings.
The discussion included estimates of approximately $12,500 per decorative light, illustrating how quickly costs could accumulate.
Council members also discussed the distinction between the standard highway lighting that MnDOT would provide and the decorative lighting the city would be responsible for financing.
According to the staff report, continuous highway lighting using 30-foot-tall cobra-style fixtures would be eligible for state aid. Whether the additional pedestrian-scale lighting would qualify for state aid had not yet been determined.
The council ultimately agreed more information was needed before making a decision.
Lawrence moved to postpone the lighting decision for two weeks, with Council Member Lisa Leifeld seconding the motion. The motion passed.
The additional review will include possible reductions in the number of decorative lights, alternative configurations and more detailed cost information.
The timing is important because MnDOT is preparing to reach the 60% design stage in November and requested direction on lighting by Nov. 1.
Another major discussion centered on the retaining wall along Todd Field, where the highway reconstruction will require work on the existing structure.
The wall is an important visual feature of the corridor, particularly because of Todd Field's history and prominent location.
Chamberlain presented options for improving the appearance of the replacement wall, including decorative concrete treatments and stone finishes.
Council members discussed the need to preserve an attractive appearance without committing to unnecessarily expensive materials.
The proposed bollards along the wall generated additional debate.
Bollards are short posts designed to separate vehicles from pedestrian areas or protect structures. The committee had considered installing them along the Todd Field frontage.
However, MnDOT did not recommend the bollards, and they would not be eligible for state aid.
Council members questioned whether they were necessary, particularly given the additional cost and maintenance responsibilities.
Following the discussion, the council approved a motion removing the bollards from the project.
The decorative treatment of the retaining wall remains part of the continuing design discussion.
Throughout the discussion, council members wrestled with balancing the opportunity to improve Hastings' appearance against the city's financial obligations.
The reconstruction will represent the most significant overhaul of Vermillion Street in decades, and several council members acknowledged that the community may not have another opportunity of this magnitude for many years.
Some argued that the city should not miss the chance to make meaningful improvements simply because those enhancements carry additional costs.
Council Member Lisa Leifeld spoke in support of the importance of the visual improvements.
"And yes, this is expensive, and it's going to cost the city more money. But this is what everybody sees, right?" she said.
She emphasized that Vermillion Street creates an impression of Hastings for residents and visitors alike.
Other council members stressed that improvements must be financially sustainable.
Questions were raised about the long-term costs of maintaining landscaping, replacing trees, caring for decorative fixtures and preserving the appearance of the corridor.
The city will generally be responsible for owning and maintaining the aesthetic improvements beyond MnDOT's standard highway infrastructure.
Council members also discussed possible funding sources, including municipal state aid funds and opportunities for community partnerships.
There was discussion of whether local businesses or organizations might help support certain improvements, as has occurred in other Minnesota communities.
Chamberlain and Stempski explained that the recommendations were developed with maintenance considerations in mind and that additional design work would help refine the costs.
Mayor Mary Fasbender, who participated in the Visual Quality Committee's work, defended the care that went into the recommendations.
"I mean, the committee was very conscientious in all the decisions that we made. We really were," Fasbender said.
She noted that the committee had considered different options and their associated costs before developing its recommendations.
The council's discussion made clear that the broader streetscape vision has support, but the final scope will depend on further design work and financial review.
The Visual Quality Committee's recommendations will continue to guide the planning process, with additional decisions returning to the council as the project moves toward final design.
PFAS treatment plant construction continues
In other business, City Administrator Dan Wietecha provided the council with the monthly update on the city's efforts to address PFAS contamination in its municipal water supply.
Construction continues on the central water treatment plant, although delays in the delivery of filter vessels could push back the project's substantial completion date.
Final completion is still anticipated in May 2027.
Wietecha reported that Magney Construction is planning water main connections in late October. The work will require temporary restoration of North Frontage Road, with an asphalt patch installed for the winter and permanent paving planned for spring 2027.
The city also continues to wait for final funding agreements for the eastern water treatment plant.
Although Hastings has secured commitments for $17.5 million in state bonding and $5 million through the Emerging Contaminants Grant program, the agreements had not been finalized as of the council meeting.
That delay has complicated the construction schedule.
Bids for the eastern plant expired Sept. 23. Rice Lake Construction has indicated it will hold its portion of the bid for approximately another month while checking with subcontractors and suppliers about potential cost impacts.
The city estimates the overall PFAS treatment program will cost approximately $70.3 million in construction expenses, with additional annual operating and maintenance costs.
The three treatment plants are intended to address contamination affecting Hastings' municipal wells.
Council authorizes early 2027 purchases
The council also approved early authorization for $459,250 in equipment and technology purchases included in the proposed 2027 city budget.
Wietecha explained that the city has used the process in previous years to address long equipment delivery times and limited ordering windows.
The authorizations include $130,000 to replace two police Ford Utility Interceptors with hybrid vehicles, $79,250 for new building permit and code enforcement software, and $250,000 to replace the city's primary computer server and storage infrastructure.
The city's existing building permit software is approximately 20 years old. The replacement system is expected to improve permitting, inspections, recordkeeping and integration with the city's financial system.
Wietecha said beginning the process early would allow training and implementation before the 2027 construction season and ahead of the existing software maintenance contract's expiration in March.
The server replacement is part of the city's regular five-year equipment rotation.
Council Member Lisa Leifeld moved to approve the early authorizations, with Council Member Tim Lawrence seconding. The motion passed.
The council is expected to consider additional early authorizations at its Oct. 19 meeting.
Other council business
The meeting began with a proclamation declaring October Down Syndrome Awareness Month in Hastings.
Hastings School District Superintendent Dr. Kristine Wehrkamp Herman also addressed the council regarding a proposed amendment to the Minnesota Constitution involving the state's Permanent School Fund.
The amendment will appear on the November general election ballot and would change how money from the fund is distributed to public schools.
Wehrkamp Herman explained that the proposal would increase annual distributions from approximately 2% to 2.5% of the fund to 4.5%.
For Hastings School District 200, she estimated the change could increase annual revenue from approximately $200,000 to $400,000.
She emphasized that the proposal would not increase local property taxes or other taxes because the distributions would come from the existing fund.
The council also approved its consent agenda, including several donations to city departments, a 2027-28 labor agreement with the city's police officers, election judge appointments and other routine business.
The Hastings City Council's next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. at Hastings City Hall.