STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Penn State University trustees approved the sale Friday of the Shenango campus to a Sharon developer for $1 million.
The full board’s vote follows the Thursday approval of the sale by the trustees’ Finance and Investment Committee to JCL Development LLC. The campus spans nearly 13 acres.
“JCL Development LLC, a locally focused redevelopment company, would acquire the site and repurpose it as a hub for education, workforce training, economic development and cultural enrichment,” Sara Thorndike, PSU’s senior vice president for finance and business, told trustees. “This plan is supported by the surrounding Sharon community.”
Jim Landino of JCL couldn’t be reached Friday to comment, but the university released a news release following Thursday’s committee vote approving the sale.
“For the past 15 years, ‘Team JCL’ has worked to revive the spirit of our community, one project at a time,” JCL partners Landino and Jen Krezeczowski are quoted in the news release. “While the Penn State Shenango campus wasn’t originally on our radar, we are excited to embrace this opportunity. We plan to bring new energy and innovative ideas to honor its rich history and continue our efforts to strengthen the Shenango Valley.”
Penn State Shenango is one of seven campuses the university system will close at the end of the spring 2027 semester. The university announced the closures in May 2025. The Shenango campus marked its 60th anniversary later that year.
With 309 students, Penn State Shenango has the lowest enrollment of the 13 commonwealth campuses when trustees voted to close the campuses. The other campuses to close are DuBois, Fayette, Mont Alto, Kensington, Wilkes-Barre and York.
Trustees also voted Friday to sell the 57-acre, 17-building Wilkes-Barre campus to HGC Development LLC for $5.25 million. That company plans to repurpose the campus “as a multi-use site, including a hub for educational purposes – anchored by a planned partnership with Misericordia University – along with an event and conference venue complementary to the golf club,” according to Penn State’s Thursday news release.
Renata Engel, vice president for commonwealth campuses and executive chancellor, said in the release that the university has worked to strike a balance between stewarding the university’s resources and honoring its commitment to each campus community, including Shenango and Wilkes-Barre.
“Both proposals outline a vision for preserving the community-facing qualities of these properties while building on the educational impact the campuses have had for decades, and that’s an outcome we’re pleased to see reflected in each plan,” she said in the release.