“Well, that certainly is, at this point, the preferred site, (but) it’s not totally done yet,” he told this outlet during a recent press conference in Columbus.
The project includes plans to construct an estimated $300 million state-run behavioral health care facility on the 130-acre property.
Around 42 acres of the site fall within Harrison Twp., and the rest within Trotwood city limits.
Officials have said the project could generate around 500 new jobs and $126 million in payroll, along with the initial $300 million investment.
‘An asset to the community’
DeWine was in Trotwood on Thursday to celebrate the opening of Westrafo America LLC, after which he again commented on the proposed facility.
“The hospital will bring a lot of high-paying jobs, very good jobs,” he said, describing the facility as “very, very secure.”
DeWine said the facility’s design would be based off of a similar hospital that opened in Columbus in May 2024.
The 270,000-square-foot Central Ohio Behavioral Healthcare (COBH) hospital contains 208 beds and is staffed by more than 500 employees.
“I think if anyone goes through (the Columbus) facility, they’ll see that it’s very, very, very safe. It’s something that is an asset to the community,” DeWine said.
Trotwood responds
Since news broke of the state’s consideration of the Hara Arena property, the city of Trotwood has repeatedly expressed its opposition.
Mayor Yvette Page has said the city does not want a behavioral health facility at that specific location, but that officials are open to considering a different site.
“We respect and understand the importance of expanding mental health services in Ohio,” Page said in a recent press release. “However, placing a forensic facility at the former Hara Arena site does not align with our vision for economic revitalization, job creation, and quality of life improvements for Trotwood residents.”
The term “forensic” typically refers to mental health patients who are in the custody of the criminal justice system, but officials have said previously the proposed mental health hospital would be for both forensic and non-forensic patients.
When asked about Trotwood officials’ current disapproval of the hospital project, DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney told this outlet that the state hopes to curb some of the stigma around mental health hospitals.
City Manager Quincy Pope pointed out that Trotwood recently collaborated with Harrison Twp. and the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission to brainstorm potential uses for the Shiloh Springs Road site, which included things like community park and recreation space and general commercial use.
“(This collaboration) included public participation and input and no where did the public identify (a behavioral health facility) as a use they wanted to see at the Hara Arena site,” Pope said Thursday. “This development would be totally contrary to what the public articulated during the public meetings.”
Municipal Home Rule
Pope pointed to the Municipal Home Rule authority, which asserts that Ohio cities and villages are granted certain powers, including that of “self-government.”
This framework is not absolute and does not give a municipality the explicit power to control private land sales.
But cities do have the power to regulate property sales through zoning and land use laws, and Pope said the city could explore these avenues to potentially inhibit the project from moving forward.
“There could (also) be an argument the Hara site is historically significant and a push for preservation of the site,” he said.
The portion of the 1001 Shiloh Springs Road property that falls within Trotwood city limits is currently zoned Light Industrial, Pope said.
The portion that falls within Harrison Twp. is designated Planned Development, according to township spokesman Nathan Edwards.
Currently owned by developer Michael Heitz, the property is listed for sale on Crexi.com for approximately $25,000 per acre.
Staff writers Tom Gnau and Avery Kreemer contributed to this report.
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