Hastings sees major growth and development success

HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) – We’re almost a month into 2025, but the city of Hastings had much to celebrate in 2024. Several projects were completed, and many others progressed through the planning phase.

Director of Development Chad Bunger noted that Hastings had been stagnant for a while, with no significant population growth or decline. However, with new housing developments, he sees change on the horizon. The addition of new restaurants and retail businesses in Hastings has Bunger optimistic about future opportunities.

“With those new rooftops means most likely that more commercial be it restaurants, retail, offices, more employment should be coming right around the corner with that,” said Bunger.

Bunger has worked in development for over 15 years and said when residential growth occurs, businesses typically follow. He hopes to see this trend materialize within the next two years.

He also emphasized that new development offers Hastings a chance to improve its quality of life.

“When we can grow steadily year over year, that means we have more revenue coming in, it means we have more opportunity to do things, more businesses can take advantage of that growth and that just gives us that opportunity to expand our quality of life,” said Bunger.

A major factor in Hastings’ recent development success is the Theatre District.

“I think it’s really exciting and also a testament to Hastings’s innovation to be able to redevelop a mall like that,” said Bunger. “You know some of the elements of that commercial area were torn down and redeveloped but some of them were kept and reused, and that’s exciting when you don’t have to start fresh.”

In 2021, Perry Reid Properties acquired the Theatre District location and spent the first year on demolition. Two years later, they opened Hangar 55, along with restaurants and commercial businesses in west Hastings. Now, they’re working on market-rate apartments.

“We also started construction of the Theatre District Flats, which is a 56 unit apartment apartment project directly adjust to Hangar 55 and it’s a standard market rate, market rent project primarily consisting of one and two bedroom units,” said Perry Reid Properties General Counsel, Tom Huston. “I think each floor has a three bedroom unit. We anticipate that to be completed and start leasing in June 2025.”

Huston noted that construction is ahead of schedule, but one thing is still missing from west Hastings—a grocery store.

“We have been in touch with some Nebraska based retail grocery stores,” said Huston. “They look at metrics, they look at population and growth patterns. We’re talking to some others that are looking for entrees into some of the other cities in the state of Nebraska, including Hastings.”

Huston hopes that once Theatre District Flats opens, it will attract a grocery provider to west Hastings. Although he didn’t disclose which retailers have expressed interest, the ongoing development surge could bring people back to Hastings.

According to Data USA, Hastings’ population declined by approximately 150 people between 2021 and 2022.

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