Wells College Accepts $12.5 Million Offer

Wells College has accepted a $12.5 million offer for the sale of its Aurora campus, marking a major development in the institution’s ongoing dissolution process.

According to reporting by Robert Harding of The Auburn Citizen, the college’s board of trustees entered into a purchase and sale agreement with the Hiawatha Institute for Indigenous Knowledge, which intends to establish an Indigenous college on the property. The proposed sale includes the campus grounds and buildings.

In announcing the agreement, Wells College cited several factors in selecting the bid, including the purchase price, deposit amount, and proposed timeline for closing. The agreement now enters a due diligence period, during which additional details are not being publicly disclosed.

Les Lo Baugh, chair and president of the Hiawatha Institute, confirmed that his organization was notified in December that its offer had been accepted. The agreement was formally signed shortly thereafter.

The proposed sale would allow the Community Medical Center and Peachtown Elementary School — both of which lease space on campus — to continue operating. The transaction would also include furniture and certain library holdings, while excluding children’s books and rare collections.

The announcement follows earlier court-approved steps in the college’s wind-down process, including a legacy agreement transferring the endowment, records, and artifacts to Hobart and William Smith Colleges. The campus itself had been marketed for sale beginning in late 2024, with multiple bids reportedly submitted in early 2025.

Local officials have acknowledged the significance of the agreement as the village considers what the next chapter may bring.

Source: Robert Harding, The Auburn Citizen, “Wells College accepts $12.5M bid to buy Aurora campus,” Jan. 9, 2026 (updated Jan. 23, 2026)