Old pier will remain as historic overlook

When the Spiral Bridge was torn down, the city of Hastings kept its footings and created a riverfront overlook as a way to hold onto the history. When the Hastings High Bridge comes down, part of it will remain as well, to serve the same purpose.

The matter first came up about a year ago, when the Visual Quality Team was working out aesthetic features for underneath the new bridge. Originally, VQT members thought to build an observation deck onto the northernmost pier on the Hastings side of the bridge and cut it off five or 10 feet above the deck, leaving two pillars standing above, said VQT member Mike Slavik.

Recently, however, that idea has taken a turn. The bridge builders took a look at the plan, Slavik said, and asked why they couldn’t keep the whole pier, creating a sort of window lookout over the river. Now the VQT is working on creating concept drawings to see what it would look like from all different angles.

“We could really make this stand out,” Slavik said.

Much has been said about the mural that will grace the underside of the new bridge, but as attractive as that will be, the area is designed to feature the overlook.

“The focal point will be that observation lookout,” Slavik said.

It’s expected to have the same style railings on it as the new bridge will, and will bear a plaque commemorating the High Bridge.

Construction on the observation lookout won’t begin until the current bridge is dismantled, which is expected to be sometime toward the end of 2012.

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