Mercer Co. business leader hopes Penn State Shenango will become attractive tech college

Now that Penn State's Board of Trustees has voted to close the Shenango campus, many in the Shenango Valley are asking: What happens next?

The university announced the campus will remain open through the spring 2027 semester, but already, discussions are underway about how the property could be repurposed, and whether Penn State will remain involved in some capacity.

Rod Wilt, Executive Director of Penn-Northwest Development Corporation, is one of the community leaders involved in the conversation. 

"The first idea is trying to convince the Penn State folks that they should be involved in the future at Penn State Shenango," Wilt said, "that they should not just wash their hands of the campus in two years and just move on."

Wilt said one of the top ideas is turning the property into a college of technology, modeled after a successful Penn State tech school in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

"We feel like that is a great asset for Central PA that might work out here in the Shenango Mahoning Valley," he said, "So that's top of mind. Top of list."

Wilt describes the campus as "institutional quality" and said there's potential for mixed use, including labs, conference centers and even residential conversions.

"There are some amenities built into the campus that we think are attractive. That would include laboratory space, conference centers....The ability to convert some of the buildings to residential is being looked at by a couple of our local developers," Wilt said, "Each one of those buildings has a future to it. And they may not all be the same."

He added that the campus's proximity to major highways and nearby cities, including Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Erie, makes it a strategic location for broader economic use.

"We just feel due to the proximity of I-79, I-80 and the 376 corridor… that it might be an attractive amenity for the entire Shenango and Mahoning Valley that isn't duplicating something that's already here necessarily," he said. 

While no final decision has been made, Penn State leaders said they are preparing to engage with the local community.

"While it is too early to speculate on the future of the Penn State Shenango campus facilities, we are actively preparing to engage key stakeholders within the community in the coming weeks and months to have meaningful conversations about the needs of the region and how Penn State Shenango can play a role in facilitating the transition following the spring 2027 semester," said Carey McDougall, Regional Chancellor for Penn State Beaver and Penn State Shenango.

Wilt said the site could also be attractive for existing businesses or new ventures needing specialized lab space or venues for events.

"The laboratory space is definitely of interest," he said, "because it's very expensive to build that space." 

Wilt believes this moment represents a pivotal opportunity.

"This is an opportunity for Mercer County and for the city of Hermitage," he added, "It's unfortunate if we completely lose Penn State in our community, but this community is very resilient."