WILMINGTON — An area college announced last week that it purchased a farm facility that it plans to revitalize into an Agriscience complex.
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Wilmington College announced on Thursday, Oct. 30, that it recently purchased the shuttered BrightFarms facility, located at 780 Davids Drive, that borders the college’s 267-acre Academic Farm.
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The college plans to revitalize the 120,000 square-foot hydroponic greenhouse and the adjacent 20 acres into the Wilmington College Agriscience Complex.
The former commercial greenhouse, originally used as a facility for growing salad greens, herbs, and tomatoes year-round for regional distribution, will be turned into a living-learning laboratory.
The greenhouse will integrate crop science, animal science, agribusiness, and food systems under one roof, according to the college.
The facility will also include classrooms, laboratory renovations, and upgraded greenhouse infrastructure to support advanced agricultural research, sustainability initiatives, and workforce training.
The greenhouse features existing offices, restrooms, a paved driveway and parking lot, commercial-grade utilities, ADA accessibility, and other professional spaces that can be readily repurposed into classrooms and labs.
The college also plans to renovate a portion of the greenhouse into a livestock handling facility to support training in animal nutrition, reproduction, and pre-veterinary science.
A 120’ x 240’ livestock and equine show arena will also be constructed on the property in the construction-ready, excavated, and prepared land originally intended for future facility expansion.
The arena is anticipated to have seating for up to 1,000 and will be capable of hosting statewide livestock and equestrian competitions, FFA and 4-H events, and applied learning workshops.
The arena will allow the WC Aggies student organization to once again host its annual high school judging competition (livestock, equine, poultry, and agronomy) in Wilmington.
The nearly seven-decade-long tradition has attracted more than 1,500 competitors in recent years, outgrowing local facilities and relocating to Clark County.
“The facility will serve as a hub for hands-on learning, applied research, and community engagement,” Wilmington College President Corey Cockerill said. “A place where students train across livestock production, pre-veterinary science, meat science, agribusiness, and food systems, while also advancing solutions in sustainability and food security.”
Cockerill called the Agriscience Complex a “game-changer” and said that it represents one of the boldest moves in the nearly 80-year history of WC’s agriculture program.
The agriculture program makes up the largest academic area at Wilmington College, and accounts for a third of the institution’s main campus student enrollment. This fall, the major welcomed its largest incoming classes ever, according to the college.
The Agriscience Complex will play a key role in training for agricultural careers in Ohio $124 billion agriculture industry, according to Cockerill.
Cockerill also added that Ohio’s agriculture industry is at a critical crossroads.
“Rising food insecurity, rapid technological change, and the generational transfer of knowledge as farmers retire have created an urgent demand for a workforce prepared to meet today’s — and tomorrow’s — agricultural challenges.”
The Executive Director of the Clinton County Port Authority, T. Alex Beres, said the college’s purchase and redevelopment of the BrightFarms property represents “the kind of strategic investment that drives sustainable economic growth in the county.”
“By reimagining the recently vacated greenhouse into a state-of-the-art agricultural center, the College is creating a vital community asset that enhances the diversity of our economic base,” Beres said.
Beres added that the Port Authority has maintained active communication with the facility’s prior ownership and other entities, and managed existing economic development agreements to ensure the transfer and redevelopment could happen quickly and seamlessly.
The timing of the property’s availability lined up with the College’s plan to grow its agriculture program. The college had already been raising funds for a proposed agriculture pavilion adjacent to its Equine Center on Fife Ave.
College officials said the proposed pavilion project evolved into what they realized could be accomplished for less money at the former BrightFarms property.
The college continues to raise funds to go toward the Wilmington College Agriscience Complex, though renovations will begin right away to ensure students can start using the facility as early as Fall 2026.
“We still need financial support to develop and expand the property for a truly integrated agricultural complex,” Cockerill said.
The college also expects the Agriscience Complex to greatly boost student recruitment and enrollment.
Adam Lohrey, vice president for enrollment management and marketing, said that the new facilities will “allow the College to continue accelerated growth in enrollment by providing an industry-leading learning environment.”
“Our reputation in the agriculture industry is grounded in the preparation of students through experiential learning,” Lohrey said. “The complex will empower faculty to prepare students for impact on the agriculture industry. It demonstrates our commitment to many future generations of highly educated agriculture leaders.”
The planned renovations come at a time of increased interest and institutional growth in the agriculture program, according to Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, J. Wynn Alexander.
Alexander also said that growth in agricultural careers and the importance of agricultural education are at an all-time high.
“The number of ag students has literally outgrown our classrooms, faculty resources, and laboratory spaces for the institution to maintain the applied nature, which is one of the hallmarks of a Wilmington College education,” Alexander said. “This acquisition will not only serve our existing students but will also allow us to grow to expand our agricultural outreach, broaden our educational portfolio of programs, and provide workforce development opportunities that will serve the agricultural needs of the future. This is the right purchase, at the right time, for the right reasons.”
Building the Agriscience Complex is informed by the College’s strategic plan, In Common Cause, which features seven pillars for guiding the institution from 2024 through 2027.
One pillar specifies “elevating agriculture to advance signature curricular and co-curricular opportunities locally, regionally, and on a global scope.”
Dr. Chad McKay, associate professor, area coordinator for agriculture, and Endowed Chair of Agribusiness and Leadership, said that the purchase of BrightFarms will work well with the College’s introduction of a Master of Science in Agriculture degree program starting next fall.
“It’s an era where innovation meets hands-on learning in the pursuit of a more sustainable future,” McKay said. “It reflects our commitment to preparing students not just to work in agriculture, but to shape its future, no matter if you were born and raised on a farm or if your first experience with agriculture is our courses. There is something for everyone interested in agriculture at Wilmington College.”
McKay, a WC alumnus, noted the many milestones the agriculture program has met since it’s founding in 1947, growing from the original animal science curriculum to six academic concentrations, to the largest major at the College.
“The building of the Wilmington College Agriscience Complex is a testament to how far our agricultural roots have grown while still staying true to hands-on learning and community values,” McKay said. “It’s inspiring to see the next generation of WC students gaining opportunities that will keep our legacy thriving and our future bright.”
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