Multi-million dollar company interested in redeveloping Hara Arena

TROTWOOD — While many homes and businesses have been rebuilt or repaired since the tornado outbreak on Memorial Day of 2019, others have yet to be touched and Hara Arena falls into that category.

“It was one of the first places I went to see a concert…it was the Spinners and Chaka Khan,” Mark Jones told News Center 7’s Kayla Courvell.

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Hara Arena is a venue that now holds more memories than it did seats.

“I used to go there with my mom to watch WWF wrestling,” Andre Stricklan said.

But now, with just a shell of a building left, many people want to know what’s next.

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“It was just a great place for the community and I’m sad to see it’s gone,” Jones said.

Michael Heitz, the developer of Hara Arena, said a multi-million dollar NASDAQ company is interested in the plot.

Heitz said he could not give many details, but he did say the company would bring in 50 new jobs to the area.

Although many people were hoping for another Hara Arena, Heitz said there’s no market for it in the area.

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Heitz and the potential client will present a plan for construction at the Trotwood planning meeting in late July.

If approved, demolition would start immediately.

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