The City of Hastings, a classic Mississippi River town, enjoys a commercially vibrant, historically intact downtown district that serves local residents with a variety of services and retail options and attracts visitors from around the region. A number of changes, either already in the works or visible on the horizon, prompted the City to hire HKGi to complete a Livable Communities Grant application to help fund a downtown master planning effort that will help the City guide those changes so they have a positive effect on the downtown.
Highlights of the Downtown Master Plan include: greater connections between downtown and the Mississippi Riverfront; identification of a number of potential redevelopment sites; a strategy to capitalize on the potential for a downtown commuter rail station; a set of design guidelines to help downtown maintain its architectural integrity; a strategy to increase the amount of residential options in and around downtown; and the use of innovative stormwater treatment methods to help the City control its infrastructure costs and improve environmental quality. In addition, a strong strategic plan, designed to help the City fund and achieve its goals, makes up a central part of the Master Plan.