Hara Arena shut down in August 2016, ending its 60-year run of hosting sporting events, concerts, circuses, and conventions.

In today’s Morning Briefing, we take an in-depth look at the history of Hara Arena and tell you about possible future plans for the site.

If you have thoughts or feedback on this newsletter or other news tips, please let me know at Greg.Lynch@coxinc.com.

The newsletter should take about 3 minutes, 9 seconds to read.

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Local leaders hope to breathe new life into former Hara Arena site

The city of Trotwood and Harrison Twp. are collaborating on plans to redevelop the former Hara Arena site.

• Working together: They have recently collaborated with the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission to complete a market study, exploring redevelopment possibilities for a 775-acre area that spans parts of Trotwood and Harrison Township.

• What they are saying: “We see these sites as catalysts for long-term growth and neighborhood revitalization,” township administrator Shannon Meadows said this week.

• Hara Arena site: The former Hara Arena stood on a 190-acre plot, with 60 acres in Harrison Twp. and 129 acres in Trotwood. The site features a former golf course, a 1.5-acre pond, and is mostly vacant or wooded.

• Additional sites: Other sites included in the study are the former Salem Mall site, Meadowdale, Valerie Woods, and the East Turner Gateway.

• Suggested plan: A “proposed vision” for the site could see 70 acres turned into community park space, including playing fields, trails, nature areas, and connections to surrounding neighborhoods, and much of the remaining acreage redeveloped for commercial use.

• By the numbers: The site encompasses a total of 1.2 million square feet of developable space, and the study suggests a total employment potential of 500 jobs once the site is fully redeveloped.

• DDN survey: What would you build at the former Hara Arena site? Fun answers encouraged. Give us your thoughts here.

Hara Arena: Remembering an iconic Dayton venue

• Call it Hara: When shovels dug into the Trotwood ground in 1963 to expand the Wampler Ballarena, the new facility needed a name. Brothers Harold and Ralph Wampler came up with a simple solution: Take the first two letters of their first names.

• Six decades: The iconic venue closed its doors in August 2016 after six decades of sports, shows and conventions. The closure inspired recollections across the region. Thousands had sung along with a favorite band, cheered for their team and commemorated special events at the arena.

• Entertainers: The Grateful Dead, Nirvana, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Prince and Donny Osmond were among the hundreds of musical greats who performed there.

• Ice rink: Thousands glided across the ice at Winterland skate and cheered for the Dayton Gems as the team competed in what was then the oldest hockey arena in the area.

•The Great One: Wayne Gretzky, nicknamed “The Great One,” took to the ice for the first time as a professional hockey player at Hara Arena. He was just 17 and a member of the Indianapolis Racers when his team took on the Cincinnati Stingers in 1978. Later that season, he joined the NHL.

• Beerman Thanksgiving dinner: More than 3,000 strangers came together in 1969 and gave thanks at the first Beerman Thanksgiving dinner, which went on to become an annual event for the community.

• Hamvention: Thousands of amateur ham radio operators from around the world inundated the complex each year since 1964 for Hamvention, the world’s largest amateur radio gathering.

• Other events: Cat shows, presidential visits, Toughman contests, home improvement shows, football games, llama competitions, book sales, bridal shows, the Ringling Brothers Circus, professional wrestling, high school proms and wedding receptions all took place at Hara Arena.

Hara Arena legends: The night the Rolling Stones bombed in Dayton

4 things you may not know about Hara Arena

PHOTOS: Hara Arena through the years

Concerts at Hara Arena we won’t forget