Ohio Moves to Purchase Hara Arena Site for $2.5M for New Mental Health Hospital

The state is moving to allocate $2.5 million to purchase the former location of Hara Arena in Trotwood and Harrison Twp. to develop a brand new, state-run behavioral health hospital to be known as the Miami Valley Behavioral Healthcare Hospital.

The Ohio Controlling Board, which processes requests for set-aside state funding, will consider the state’s request at its Monday meeting. If approved, this would finalize the state’s search for a hospital site ever since it identified the area as an optimal spot to build Ohio’s sixth state-run mental health hospital in June 2024. Trotwood administrators and city council members are against locating the hospital at the site, however, if approved, the state expects 285,000 square feet of new construction, with the hospital’s capacity capping out around 208 beds.