AURORA, NY (607NewsNow) – An agreement is in place to sell Wells College.

On January 8, the Board of Trustees announced that the Hiawatha Institute for Indigenous Knowledge was the high bidder for the campus in Aurora.

The nonprofit, which reportedly offered $12.5 million, wants to establish an educational center dedicated to preserving Native American history. When they submitted their initial bid in March 2025, the organization said it would offer long-term lease agreements to community staples on the property, including the Community Medical Center and Peachtown Elementary School.

A group of Wells College alumni, the Cleveland Commission for Wells, also submitted a bid last year. The group sought to reinstate the historic site as an academic institution with some notable changes.

According to the Syracuse Post-Standard, the sale is subject to a two-month due diligence period, as well as state regulatory approvals.

Wells College closed its doors in the summer of 2024, after over 150 years of operation on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake.