Location: Hastings, Nebraska
Client: Small Town Famous
Year Completed: 2024
Year Originally Built: 1875, Modified1966
Renovation Cost: $2,400,000
Size: 40,303 sf
Program: Three story department store and screen printing facility.
Architects: Goodlife Architecture
M/E/P Engineering: Morrissey Engineering
Structural Engineering: Lange Structural Group
Contractor: Cardinal Construction Development
Consultant: Queen City
Development Historic Tax Credits Coordinator: Reignite Strategies
Photography: Tom Kessler
A once-abandoned Dollar General store, this white elephant on Hastings’ historic downtown was acquired by the Community Redevelopment Authority and offered to developers. Recognizing its potential, the City took the first step:tearing away the fadedmid-60s metal panel façade and revealing the 150-year-old masonry and glass storefront beneath.
Once a bustling multi-story department store—first Wolbach & Brach’s, then Schweser & Sons—the landlocked, mid-block building was just too big in all the wrong places. Multiple studies aimed at subdividing it for housing and other uses fell flat.
Enter Jacque and Matt Cranson, owners of a thriving screen printing and apparel shop just a few doors down. They saw what others didn’t: why not make it a department store again? Undeterred by the lack of code-compliant stairs to the upper floors and the challenge of creating a large-scale local retail store in the age of Amazon, the Cransons fearlessly tackled the project.
To stretch every dollar, they sourced reclaimed retail fixtures and furnishings in their spare time, infusing the new store with an eclectic, nostalgic atmosphere that resonates with visitors. Goodlife’s expertise in historic renovation, property redevelopment, and creative code-compliance solutions complemented the Cransons’ relentless drive. Together, we transformed this relic into a lively, community-focused retail destination—a testament to the power of local vision and collaboration.
Small Town Famous is more than a store—it’s a celebration of Hastings’ heritage, entrepreneurial spirit, and charm. This project exemplifies what can happen when local business owners, designers, and government come together with a shared vision: a rediscovered landmark that brings people back to Main Street, and reminds us all that community pride never goes out of style.
