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Hastings is getting ready to try something new: sidewalk dining in its historic downtown near the banks of the Mississippi.
The first sidewalk cafes, all extensions of existing establishments on or near Second Street E., could begin appearing in July, City Administrator Melanie Mesko Lee said. The City Council approved ordinance changes this month allowing the move.
Hastings historically hasn't allowed sidewalk cafes, Mesko Lee said, but reconsidered after a request from a restaurant that opened last fall next to the new Hwy. 61 bridge.
"We took a more holistic approach and said, 'Downtown is a unique environment, and if folks want to have a couple tables outside, what can we do to help support that?' " Mesko Lee said. " … We've received only positive feedback."
