Around 42 acres of the site fall within Harrison Twp., and the rest within Trotwood city limits.
Trotwood Mayor Yvette Page said city council specifically opposes use of the Hara Arena site for a behavioral health center.
“We respect and understand the importance of expanding mental health services in Ohio,” Page said in a press release on Tuesday. “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.”
Page stressed the city is open to determining an “alternative location” within Trotwood for the project.
“We are not saying ‘no’ to the facility,” Page said. “We are saying, ‘Let’s find a better place that works for everyone.’ We are ready to be a part of that solution.”
But Harrison Twp. trustees said the project would be “transformational” for the entire Dayton region.
“While we respect our (Trotwood) neighbors, we don’t share the same opinion on the project,” said township spokesman Nathan Edwards. “We view this opportunity, specifically at the Hara Arena site — a site that was hit by the 2019 Memorial Day tornadoes — as an opportunity for a phoenix-rising-from-the-ashes type of moment.”
Edwards said the project could generate around 500 new jobs and $126 million in payroll, along with the initial $300 million investment.
“Both communities have had our concerns with economic development, especially after the tornadoes,” Edwards said. “A site as huge as this one is hard to activate and if we can attract a major investment, specifically from a reliable organization like the state of Ohio, we’re all for it.”
Edwards also pushed back on Trotwood’s description of the proposed treatment center, which was labeled as a “forensic” health care facility in the city’s press release, calling that designation “misleading.”
“We’ve been advised that it would be a behavioral health center that specializes in state of the art mental health rehabilitation of all kinds, not just for those who are incarcerated,” he said.
A representative for the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health did not respond to a request for clarification or comment on the proposed project.
The property’s current owner Michael Heitz first said in May his real estate agent was approached by state representatives about the site’s potential, but noted sale of the property was “far from imminent” at the time.
The Ohio Controlling Board, which would need to approve the state’s purchase of the site prior to the start of any construction, will meet on Oct. 20.
The Shiloh Springs Road parcel is listed for sale on Crexi.com for approximately $25,000 per acre.
Trotwood and Harrison Twp. had previously teamed up with the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission to brainstorm potential uses for the site, like community park and recreation space and general commercial use.
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