1. It’s for sale, but it comes with some baggage.
PNC Bank filed to foreclose on the Hara Arena property and a receiver was appointed to oversee try to recoup as much as possible to repay the arena’s debts. The receiver, Peter Lahni of Cincinnati-based Lahni Consulting LLC, said the property is listed for sale for $775,000.
But in order for any new plan for the property moves forward, the future buyer would need to have enough experience and cash to not only buy the property, but also satisfy mounting back taxes and pay for an expensive renovation or demolition project.
“We’ve got a couple people that are interested and trying to restart something, but it is going to be a very expensive process,” Lahni said.
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2. A family fighting drained some resources from Hara Arena.
The Wampler family had maintained Hara Arena from the event center’s beginning but when founder Harold Wampler died in 1996, his unresolved estate launched a 20 year family and legal battle that drained Hara of resources, according to a previous statement from a Hara representative.
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3. Before it closed, the arena had a $36 million annual economic impact.
The iconic venue had been a staple of the entertainment scene in the region for more than 60 years. Two years ago when the closing announcement was made, Hara’s marketing director said the area would lose the $36 million in annual economic impact from the arena, which annually hosted the world’s largest amateur radio gathering, drew in youth, men’s and professional hockey programs and hosted hundreds of other events.
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