Our roundup of the latest Wellesley, Mass., business news:
Babson might want to study us
Wellesley is looking to make use of a local resource: Babson College graduate students who might be interested in helping the the town explore business development challenges being faced amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the move to online shopping.
The town applied in September to be a participant in the Spring 2021 semester’s Babson Consulting Program, an experiential learning program in which graduate students seek to come up with innovative solutions for various problems or projects. The town has been accepted into the program, but now it’s a matter of whether there’s enough student interest.
“Our application looks to have the students help the Town with a business development initiative,” says Wellesley Assistant Executive Director Amy Frigulietti. “This initiative will incorporate analysis and planning to help with our vacant commercial storefronts and/or high turnover rates, and also include an aspect of market research for Wellesley’s shopping areas to determine where the need is for various types of business. We hope to have the team use this analysis to understand what types of businesses would be supported/successful in Wellesley, and also help educate town government on what may be preventing or prohibiting some businesses from staying and/or coming to Wellesley.”
Students will be asked to connect with residents, merchants, and landlords, among others. The students will then submit recommendations for the town’s consideration.
Even if the project doesn’t move forward, Wellesley has been doing some research along these lines already and plans to do more.
Downtown Starbucks temporarily closed again
In late November the Starbucks at 68A Central St. in Wellesley Square closed due to COVID-19. It’s closed again, temporarily, though unclear from the sign on the storefront exactly why.
The Linden Square Starbucks is not far at all, and Peet’s down the block is open for now (being replaced by a bank).
Sisters of Charity partners with Legacy Lifecare
Sisters of Charity-Halifax’s Wellesley campus, which includes the Elizabeth Seton Residence skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility and Marillac Residence rest home, has partnered with nonprofit Legacy Lifecare to manage it and provide operational development.
Legacy Lifecare also manages Chelsea Jewish Lifecare of Chelsea and Peabody, JGS Lifecare of Longmeadow, and Deutsches Altenheim in West Roxbury.
Sisters of Charity will continue to focus on its branding, strategic planning, and fundraising, but will rely on Legacy Lifecare for day-to-day support and management services in what’s become an increasingly complex healthcare world.
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We had a rare chance on Thursday night to visit 
Dozens of colleges across the country have responded to coronavirus concerns by trading in classroom instruction for online learning, or by taking even stronger measures by requiring students to move out of dormitories. The three colleges located in Wellesley — Wellesley College, Babson College, and MassBay — have put forth three markedly different responses to what the Centers for Disease Control calls an “emerging, rapidly evolving situation.”
