WKU community petitions against possible greenhouse demolition

Josh Baumgardner, News Reporter

February 19, 2026

Western Kentucky University marked the campus greenhouses for destruction over winter break. While no final decision has been made, the university plans to “evaluate the degree to which the greenhouses are utilized,” University Spokesperson Jace Lux said

Over 870 community members have signed a petition, created by the Horticulture Club, in opposition to the possible demolition of the greenhouses, as of Thursday.

Meara Wilcox, president of the Horticulture Club and senior environmental science major, created the petition on Jan. 13. The petition calls for the greenhouses to remain on campus after they were slated for demolition at the beginning of the semester.

“I’m just really amazed by how quickly everything has moved and how big it’s (the petition) gotten,” Wilcox said.

In records obtained by the Herald in October detailing the building plans for the Academic Complex, a map shows the greenhouses are not part of the possible demolition. However, in a rendering of the space, the greenhouses are not pictured.

The greenhouses sit outside the dashed red line indicating the buildings that are set to be torn down to make way for the new Academic Complex. The greenhouses do not appear on renderings of the new Academic Complex and the surrounding area.

The greenhouses are not pictured in renderings of the new Academic Complex.

University Spokesperson Jace Lux did not comment on the reason for the fencing built around the greenhouses at the beginning of the semester.

Wilcox initially created the petition to give her fellow club members a platform to voice their opinion about the greenhouses, and has quickly gained the support of not only students on campus but also alumni and members of the Bowling Green community.

David Brown, the dean of the Ogden College of Science and Engineering, has continued to work with the administration to ensure a positive compromise for both the students and the university.

“The administration continues to work with us on how to meet our greenhouse needs moving forward,” Brown said. “I feel hopeful about a positive solution and thank them for their efforts.”

The university also said it is in contact with the Department of Agriculture and Food Sciences and the Department of Biological Sciences.

“The university continues to explore viable solutions to this situation,” Lux said. “When additional information becomes available, it will be shared with the campus community.”

Wilcox is hopeful that the Agriculture and Food Science Department, as well as the Biological Sciences Department, will be able to come to a compromise with the university.

“I’m really glad that the university seems to be communicating and cooperating with us about finding a solution,” Wilcox said.