At 10:00 AM on a Monday morning in August, the corner of Main and Highway 63 came quietly to life.

There were no headlines or marching bands. Just a slow and steady gathering. Folding chairs, fresh coffee, old neighbors, and new friends. The kind of morning that asks for your attention, not with fanfare but with meaning.

The earth was soft from the recent excavation work. A cluster of shovels waited at the edge of the site, leaned unassumingly against a large dozer. At the entrance to the site, the remains of the icon buildings that came before us stacked neatly in the dirt. Boulders from the Pion Hotel’s original foundation, unearthed only days before.

Amanda and I stood together to open the ceremony. We spoke briefly, not about our story, but Hayward’s. The layered legacy of this place. The buildings that have anchored this corner for more than a hundred years. Pion. Giblin. Walker. Hayward. And the generations of people who brought those buildings to life.

It felt fitting that some of their descendants stood with us that morning. Henry and Winston Klapper, great-grandsons of William Giblin, whose hotel once stood exactly where we now stood. We were honored to have them there and grateful to acknowledge the family’s lasting connection to this site.

From there, the morning unfolded like a well-worn map, each voice offering another layer of orientation.

Nina Broadhurst from Cuningham spoke of designing with a deep sense of place, drawing from Hayward’s character to shape a building that truly belongs here. She shared how the site’s history influenced form and material, and how the design invites the community in as part of the story.

Jim Kerkow of Spider Lake Trading reflected on his early years in the Hayward area and working just down Main Street as a designer. He spoke about choosing materials with meaning, creating spaces that feel good to be in, and shared his appreciation for the entire team working together to bring this vision to life.

Chris Bristow of Greiner Construction talked about building something lasting, not just in structure but in spirit. He emphasized the pride the team has brought to the project and reminded us that this foundation will support far more than a building.

Chris Ruckdaschel from the Hayward Area Chamber of Commerce offered a broader perspective on what this space could mean for the community. A place where ideas take shape, businesses grow, and people come together in meaningful ways.

Then came the moment. The shovels lifted. The first slice of ground was turned. The project is officially underway.

But before we wrapped, there were names to speak and thanks to give.

To our partners and contributors: Chad Hancock, Bill Phelps, Scott King, Jeremy Murdock and the J R Excavating team, John McCue from the City of Hayward, and the Business Improvement District Board. Your work has already shaped this place in profound ways.

To our First Light Partners, including CAMBA and the Sawyer County and Lac Courte Oreilles Economic Development Corporation, thank you for believing in this vision early and standing with us as we build something that reaches beyond the walls.

And to Nick Garcia, our project superintendent and steward of every next step, thank you for keeping us on track, one day at a time.

As the crowd lingered after the ceremony, we offered a simple invitation: take a stone from the original foundation.

A gesture, yes. But also a symbol. A reminder that this project does not begin from scratch. It begins from a place already full of life, memory, and meaning.

We are not building alone. We are standing on the shoulders of those who saw potential here long before we did. And when this new chapter rises in brick and steel, our hope is that it carries their strength, their vision, and their quiet belief in what this place could be.

After the ceremony, we gathered for a project partner lunch just down the block at The Social Kitchen & Cocktails on Main Street. It was a chance to slow down, share a meal, and connect as a team as we officially step into the construction phase of the project. A meaningful start to the work ahead.

Every great place begins with people who believe in what it can become. This is that beginning.