Hara Arena, the former venue for Dayton Hamvention® and myriad sports, entertainment, and other presentations over the years, will soon be history. In the wake of a failed attempt to revitalize the tornado-damaged complex, officials in the city of Trotwood, Ohio — where Hara Arena is actually located — announced plans last week to raze the complex and rezone the property from commercial recreation to light industrial.
Many GERATOL Net regulars visited the Hara Arena site of the Hamvention over the years, making sure to take time out from gazing at the new products and forums, to have dinner and an eyeball QSO with follow GERATOLers.
“The complex suffered extensive damage during the 2019 Memorial Day tornado outbreak,” the city said in a news release on September 25, taking note of hopes to salvage the complex. “However, redeveloping the property would be a challenge due to the extent of the damage, so the decision was made, and a contract has been secured to demolish the legendary venue.”
Hara Arena had served as the venue for Dayton Hamvention from 1964 until 2016. Hamvention announced in July 2016 that Hara Arena would be closing and that Hamvention would continue. The show is now held at the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center.
Myself and N9SC ventured to the new Hamvention site at the Greene County Fairgrounds. The site was certainly adequate, and the Hamvention team did a nice job working out the “bugs” as they launched their first season at that venue in 2017. While the parking was a bit tricky in the muddy fields, the shuttles taking folks to and from the main venue site worked well on day two.
Over its six-decade history, Hara Arena hosted concerts by performers that included the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead; it was also where hockey legend Wayne Gretzky played his first professional hockey game.
If anyone has any pictures from their previous eyeball QSO’s with follow GERATOLers from the Hara Arena site, feel free to send them to me, and I will post them on the GERATOL Website.
Kevin N1KL
Source: QRZ NOW.COM