One of the most-asked questions in Hastings seems to be what’s happening with the Vermillion Acres Senior Housing development.

Vermillion Acres is on its way, according to Community Development Director John Hinzman.

Hinzman told members of the Hastings Economic Development and Redevelopment Authority at their October meeting that the site soon should be bustling with activity.

The plan for Vermillion Acres, 1190 County Road 47, received planning commission and city council approval in March 2021. It seemed as if not much was happening at the site in the last year, but Hinzman said that’s soon to change. The project is being developed by Headwaters Development.

Vermillion Acres will be a 75-unit senior housing community. Hinzman said construction is underway offsite of modular units at a facility in St. Michael that will be put together onsite. He was told that would start in November.

“I had the opportunity to tour the factory in which the modular units are being constructed. That was interesting,” said Hinzman. “They have half the units constructed sitting in the parking lot, all ready to go. It was interesting to see everything being built along the line.”

He said once the units arrive on the Hastings property, they’ll be ready to go, with siding, paving and finish work remaining.

“Essentially, they’ll come forward with a finished product with countertops and appliances in and put onto a truck to ship it out to the site. When it’s going to be shipped out to the site appears to be soon. They told me that the beginning to mid-November, they will be starting to bring the modulars out to the site,” said Hinzman. “They’ll be doing that between that period and January.”

“We’re hopeful that they’ll follow through. There’s been limited activity out there,” said Hinzman.

HEDRA and City Councilmember Dave Pemble commented, “I was by there this afternoon, and I saw they were out there making survey checks across the flat area and a bunch of other things. So, there is some activity going on there.”

“I appreciate that update, because that is the one thing I’m hearing. ‘What’s going on with that.’ There’s been a lot of rumors. I think that’s good that we made that clarification that that’s going to be proceeding,” said HEDRA Chair Peggy Horsch.

Hinzman said that because of the number of inquiries he received on the project, he met with developers.

“I had a meeting with the property developers and the modular people. We had a sit down,” Hinzman said. “They were responsive to that and offered the tour of the factory.”