SHARON, Pa. – The finance and investment committee of the Penn State University Board of Trustees recommended the sale of the Penn State Shenango campus to JCL Development LLC for $1 million Thursday.
The Shenango campus, located in downtown Sharon, was among seven satellite campuses that Penn State’s board of trustees voted in May 2025 to close at the conclusion of the spring 2027 semester. At the time, Penn State reported the Shenango campus had the lowest enrollment of its 13 commonwealth campuses.
During the livestreamed meeting, the committee recommended the sale of the 12.74-acre campus, which has 13 buildings, to JCL despite the Sharon-based developer’s offer being lower than the appraised value of the property.
JCL engaged with Penn State officials early in its process of finding new uses for the Shenango campus and expressed interest in purchasing the property to create a hub for education workforce development and cultural enrichment, said Sara Thorndike, Penn State senior vice president for finance and business.
“The university considered a variety of factors when evaluating the financial offers that we received, including again the benefits to the community and their needs, appraised values, deferred maintenance and ongoing operating costs,” she said.
Board members spoke in support of the purchase, praising JCL for its efforts in redeveloping several properties in downtown Sharon.
“This is a capable local developer with experience in the community that has completed several redevelopment projects and has great working relationships locally. He is committed,” board member Robert Fenza said.
“The complexities of the real estate and restrictions on the real estate make these very challenging, but I think we’ve gotten to a proposal here that is in the best interests of the community with a very reputable developer,” David Kleppinger, board chairman, affirmed. “The future of that Shenango site is on a positive track.”
The full board of trustees will take up the property sale when it meets Friday. Pennsylvania lawmakers recently removed deed restrictions on the campuses, allowing Penn State to sell the entire properties to private buyers rather than turning portions of the land over to state control.