During the 2024-25 offseason, the Hastings Hawks board decided to check another big item off their capital improvement plan for Veterans Park, a much-needed concessions stand expansion. Months of planning took place as the original 12-foot by 16-foot space was desperately due for a major upgrade. This upgrade was based on several needs: storage, cleaning, sales, preparation space and handicapped accessibility. In the end, the decision was made to add 20 feet to the end of the concessions building making the total space 12 x 36.
Board President Bruce Karnick explained the initial steps.
“The process was extremely slow going, especially for the 2025 season as plans constantly needed revision and government approval. There were a lot of emails and phone calls between me, the City of Hastings and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. We knew what we wanted to do, but we really had no idea how to get there and, with limited funds, we had to be very frugal on where we spent money. We could not afford to hire professionals for everything.”
The group broke ground in the spring of 2025, handling all the excavation internally. R.E. Wahlstrom took care of the cinderblock and concrete work, Midstate Plumbing and Heating took care of the plumbing, Miller Electric handled the lighting and Mantic Construction took care of the General Contractor side of things. Ultimately, the plumbing and concrete work was completed inside before the park was closed for 2025. Outside, Mantic Construction of Cottage Grove completely overhauled the roof and awnings on both the stand and the storage shed replacing the shingles for the first time in 40 years. Miller Electric added lights above the doors and windows to enhance the safety and visibility for fans and volunteers and the Hawks board took care of everything else like painting, hanging light fixtures and building shelves.
“We really could not have done this without Matt and Craig from Mantic Construction. Their guidance was priceless, and their generosity toward the end goal… it blew me away,” added Karnick. “Our other contractors were great with their parts of the job too. The plumbing was such an undertaking, but Gordy communicated so well through the entire plumbing install and Tim was super accommodating for the electrical work.”
That generosity from Mantic Construction and the support from all the pros was clearly emotional for Karnick who admittedly noted the project became much more involved than expected, and much more expensive than originally planned.
“I thought I knew what I was getting into, and I quickly learned I was in over my head. The Hawks board of directors really stepped up for this project wherever they could, especially with encouragement and support for the project. They supported my crazy ideas and the need to raise the needed funds so we could turn around and spend it right away. They kept the field, the team and the concessions stand running smoothly,” he said. “And I can never thank our pros enough, they were so reassuring and never once flinched when I started getting stressed.”
The plumbing work gave the stand a second four-inch drain line, a grease trap and a large commercial 3-compartment sink that was a desperately needed upgrade for years. They also installed a true mop sink, and two floor drains to help maintain the entire building’s cleanliness and a massive upgrade to the water heater.
“Every volunteer that has seen the new triple sink has basically said ‘it’s about time’,” he laughed. “The old sink setup was usable for the smaller stuff the stand used to handle, but this group of volunteers has really upped the bar at the concessions stand.”
With the inside space nearing completion, the space was emptied to allow The Coating Crew of Inver Grove Heights to apply a non-slip epoxy floor coating over the entire space. The original space had the same coating applied 10 years ago and that improvement alone impressed the health inspectors over the years. It dramatically changed the look and feel of the stand, and the new space getting the same treatment has the same effect, it looks stunning and is much easier to maintain and clean than bare concrete.
With the floor cured, equipment found its way back into the new space, new racks were built and soon, the new cooler and freezer will make their way to their permanent homes. The new griddle was used at the end of the season for 2025 with rave reviews. The 24”x48” commercial griddle is a massive upgrade from the 18”x36” griddle the team has used the last few years.
While the process has gone slower than the Hawks would have liked, things are progressing and the group’s excitement is palpable.
“Things are slowly coming together, almost too slowly given we are about five weeks away from the first game at the field,” said Karnick.
The Department of Agriculture needs to do their pre-opening inspection, but that can’t happen until the water is turned on, which can’t happen until Mother Nature stops with this snow / summer weather rollercoaster and the temps stay above 40 degrees overnight.
“The concrete outside also needs to be completed, which, again cannot start until the weather cooperates,” noted Karnick. “Even with the best concrete guy in the area, Ryan Wahlstom. We are also looking for funding to replace the entire field side patio and add significantly to it.”
The additional concrete is to help with the Handicapped Accessibility (ADA) by providing a solid path around the building on both ends plus a concrete ramp and pad by the equipment shed. The new window in the stand is also setup to accommodate people with mobility issues. The group is in the process of asking for additional money from the City of Hastings via the Community Investment Fund (CIF)
“The Community Investment Fund from the City of Hastings has been an amazing program for us the last few years. The fund has given us the opportunity to put our hard-earned dollars into tangible, visible and impactful upgrades to not just the baseball field at Veterans Park, but the entire complex. Without the CIF and the support of both the Parks Department and City Council… I don’t even want to think where the projects would be right now. We are just so thankful that we have earned their trust and support for the sometimes-monumental ideas we come up with out here,” said Karnick.
Once the full concrete replacement is complete, the group hopes to also add a path from the handicapped spots to the building, helping those with mobility issues event more.
“We know there are a number of grandparents and fans who have issues navigating the uneven terrain from the parking lot to the field. Every project we do we take into account how it will affect limited mobility folks and we try to do something to make mobility and access a little easier. Our ultimate goal is to do a full grandstand and concourse build for fans, but that will take a lot of significant contributions to make a reality,” Karnick explained.
As far as concessions are concerned, the plan is still to open on time, but that all hinges on scheduling inspections and governmental approvals, and if there is one thing the Hawks have learned from this, the government moves at its own pace, hopefully for Hastings baseball fans things will be ready for the first game of the season when the Hastings Raiders take on the Tartan Titans on May 1 at 7:00 p.m.
Initially, the project was expected to cost between 40 and 50 thousand dollars. By the end of 2025, that had increased to nearly 75 thousand and with the additional concrete work to replace the aging concrete, the project could finish above 90 thousand dollars, with just under half coming from the Hastings Hawks the donations, in kind labor and funds earned from concessions.
Since 2014, this has been the fourth big project at the baseball field. First, they tackled the press box, which was completed in 2015, then the scoreboard and batting cages and now the concessions stand. Once the concessions stand is completed, the next project is a fan deck in right field.
“Then we are going to breathe,” laughed Karnick. “We are going to sit back and look at all we have accomplished over the last decade. The press box, scoreboard, batting cages, concessions expansion, deck will all be completed and we need to appreciate what we have done to refuel for the next big thing.”
The remaining list of improvements includes three things: A controlled entrance meaning a fence around the field, new filed lighting and a full grandstand with new dugouts, locker rooms and a concourse. The City of Hastings is checking one of those three off the list this May, new field lights.
“New lights have been needed for a decade,” explained Manager Shawn Matson. “Lights are paramount to player safety for night games. The lights we have now were installed in 1982 and have become so bad that we considered playing our league games during daylight hours just to keep guys safe, but that is a whole other scheduling challenge we did not want to deal with. We are very thankful that the City of Hastings recognized the need for new lights and we cannot wait to see them in action.”
The installation of the lights will begin as soon as the ground is safe for the equipment needed to reach 100 plus feet into the air. That installation is expected to be completed sometime in early May.
If you would like to be a donor to the concessions stand project to help offset the cost or, if you would like to contribute to their next planned upgrade, reach out to president@hastingshawks.com or visit www.hastingshawks.com for more details. The group has a solid list of donor appreciation tiers that includes season tickets as part of the thank you for supporting Hastings baseball.