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Hastings council adopts Heartbeat Creative District public art and placemaking plan
Summary
The Hastings City Council voted 8–0 to adopt the Heartbeat Creative District public art and creative placemaking plan, which sets district boundaries, an artist selection and approval process, priority locations (including painted crosswalk pilots), and identifies local and state funding sources tied to a $100,000 state grant application.
The Hastings City Council unanimously adopted the Heartbeat Creative District public art and creative placemaking plan on a vote of 8–0, clearing the way for new murals, sculptures and painted crosswalks in the city’s downtown district.
City planner Amber Batalon and Lily Teeple of the Business Improvement District told the council the plan formalizes boundaries roughly from the railroad to Seventh Street and Burlington to East Side, outlines an artist-selection process (RFQ then RFP), and establishes approval, maintenance and conservation protocols for installations. They said the plan is intended to support a state grant application for $100,000 and to make future projects eligible for other state and federal funding programs.
The plan also identifies priority locations and describes a two-step community engagement and review process: pulse-committee review (artists, business owners) followed by BID approval. Batalon said larger projects that involve structural changes would return to the council for individual approval; smaller items such as painted crosswalks and wrapped utility boxes could proceed under the plan’s approval pathway.
Council members asked about safety and regulatory compliance. Batalon said staff consulted the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and will require painted crosswalks to retain two horizontal white lines with artwork between them to preserve the legal crosswalk. Resident and council members raised concerns about slippery paint for motorcycles; Batalon said staff will test paint types and begin painted-crosswalk pilots on lower-traffic First Street.
Funding sources listed in the plan include seed money from the BID, support from the Hastings Community Foundation, grants from the Nebraska Arts Council and the Hastings Arts Council, potential CDBG categories, and other state or federal programs; the presenters said the Nebraska Arts Council grant application is due Nov. 1 and the plan will support that submission.
Supporters at the meeting — including Angenette Bonham, executive director of the Adams County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and local artists — said the plan would boost downtown visitation, help local artists and foster civic pride. The council voted to adopt Resolution 2025-39, approving the public art plan and authorizing staff to proceed with the outlined processes.
Next steps outlined by staff include finalizing RFQ/RFP documents, beginning community engagement on specific projects, and incorporating council feedback into a second reading or implementation materials where applicable.
