RELATED: Money troubles surround Hara Arena: What we know
Asked about his plans for Hara and its 120 or so acres of property, he said: “No 1, clean it up and secure the property.”
He declined to say what he has invested in the site thus far.
The Dayton Daily News reported in March that Hara property owners-trustees owed back taxes and around $350,000 to banks.
Do you have memories of Hara Arena? Check this out: Hara may have a new owner and developer behind it. https://t.co/CBUamr7FDI
— Thomas Gnau (@ThomasGnau) May 2, 2018
Heitz typically buys distressed properties and gets them “shovel ready” for users. He said he plans a Monday afternoon press conference to discuss his purchase and his plans.
RELATED: Hara redeveloper will face challenges
Hara closed in 2016, taking with it a $36 million annual economic impact and decades of memories.
Heitz has purchased other local properties, such as the Rita Construction building in North Dayton, a former inn at Wagner Ford Road off Interstate 75 and the old Executive Lodge at 2401 Needmore Road in a similar tax lien sale.
Heitz may be best known locally for demolishing the former Howard Paper plant smokestack off Edwin C. Moses Boulevard in 2011. He said he drove by that property for years on I-75 before deciding to do something about it. He finally bought it on July 1, 2010.
RELATED: Heitz conducts business with a handshake
“I thought it gave Dayton a bad rap,” Heitz told the Dayton Daily News in 2013.
Heitz also prepared North Dayton property where Dayton Children’s Hospital is building a two-story clinic, a project that ended up mired in a legal dispute.
Property turnaround pro Heitz buys Hara Arena
— Steve Bennish (@Ohiojobswatch) May 2, 2018
Download the Dayton Daily News app for the latest Dayton news you want, when you want, in this free app.
iOS: https://t.co/p1zx4BZUEC
Android: https://t.co/yQwyq4Ll7u https://t.co/ltywWyk0jV
Dayton Children’s Hospital sued Heitz and his firm Garrett Day LLC, alleging the developer defrauded the hospital when it didn’t properly clear the site at the corner of Stanley Avenue and Valley Street.
LUXURY HOMES IN DAYTON AREA
PHOTOS: Check out this luxury Washington Twp. home
PHOTOS: Check out this luxury Kettering house with home theater
PHOTOS: See inside the former manstion built by Charles F. Kettering
You won’t believe the inside of this INCREDIBLE Oakwood house
This $2 million Warren County estate is a rural paradise with a resort-style pool
About the Author
