Sidewalk Sale in Natick Center, and beyond

May 12, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Come to downtown Natick to support the local business community and shop small on Sat., May 15, 10am – 4pm.

Local merchants will spill out of their storefronts and onto the sidewalks, creating a fun and lively atmosphere in Natick Center.

After 1pm there is NO charge for metered parking, and the municipal lots are always FREE on the weekend. Try out the Passport app to pay for downtown parking.

Don’t forget to stop by the Farmer’s Market on Natick Common, which has opened outside. The hours are 9am-1pm.

More outside shopping, beyond Natick

Linden Square in Wellesley will hold its annual Sidewalk Sale on Thurs., May 20 – Sun., May 23. Loads of merchants will have their goods out all day, and some sale items will be discounted up to 70%. Don’t miss the discounts at this fun yearly event.

Wellesley Square Merchants will hold their next monthly Sidewalk Saturday event on May 22. Central Street will be closed 10am – 5pm. from Grove Street to CVS, creating a pedestrian-friendly, family-fun event. Live music will be part of the fun in front of CVS and further down the street in Central Park (near the Wellesley Square post office).

Additional dates for Wellesley Square Sidewalk Saturdays are: June 19, July 17, August 21, September 18.

Wellesley Select Board mulls Natick’s marijuana shop plans

May 11, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Because some of the candidates to open a recreational marijuana shop in Natick are looking to do so near the Wellesley line, Wellesley residents have been sharing their concerns with Natick’s Select Board, and now Wellesley’s Select Board has taken up the matter.

Whereas Wellesley residents voted against legalizing recreational marijuana in 2016, Natick residents did not, and that has paved the way for such businesses to vie for approval in Natick. Over the past year, Natick has given the go-ahead to a medical marijuana dispensary and a testing lab, and is exploring the possibility of delivery and wholesale companies opening as well, the latter of which would be free to deliver their offerings to Wellesley and elsewhere.

As for recreational marijuana shops, Natick is moving through the process under a host community agreement of allowing a company called Cypress Tree to open a shop in the Cloverleaf Mall on Speen Street. A number of steps remain, including Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission approval, before such a shop could open.

Natick’s Select Board now is mulling a handful of runners-up, two of which are within about 500 feet of the Wellesley line on Rte. 9 east at 6 and 42 Worcester St. The candidate (C3) at 42 Worcester St. ranks #1 among Natick’s review committee, while the 6 Worcester St. location at what is now Nine East Wine Emporium, is further down on the list.

nine east wine emporium — This location is among candidates for a recreational marijuana shop in Natick, near Wellesley line

It’s this current vetting of candidates, some of whose locations concern Wellesley neighbors, that got the Wellesley Select Board’s attention on Monday night (discussion starts at about 43 minutes in Wellesley Media recording). Residents have expressed concerns—from traffic to bus stop safety to wetlands issues to lack of parking—to Wellesley’s Select Board.

“The town of Wellesley, it’s considered an abutter, and can certainly provide comment. But it has no other procedural jurisdiction in terms of the licensing,” Wellesley Executive Director Meghan Jop said during Monday’s Select Board meeting. Jop said she’s been in communication with Natick’s Community & Economic Development office.

Select Board Member Beth Sullivan Woods said she would like to see the town, in light of residents’ concerns, “I would like us to provide a point of view to the Natick [Select Board]…much like we’ve done for all of our 40Bs and all of our other reviews.”

The discussion included concerns about traffic in the nearby neighborhood at Morses Pond and Jennings Pond, as well as regarding possible parking arrangements either proposed business might negotiate with other operations along Rte. 9.

Select Board Chair Tom Ulfelder raised the issue that impact on neighborhoods didn’t appear to be one of the criteria used by Natick to rate marijuana shop candidates. Natick seems to be focused on the businesses as…businesses, which he said isn’t unreasonable. “It’s almost as if they kind of back into a particular site that’s more of a concern for our residents through that kind of analysis,” he said, advocating for the Board to give voice to Wellesley residents in its communication to Natick.

In the end, the Board agreed to have Town Executive Director Jop draft a letter to be reviewed at a future board meeting. Wellesley residents who want to pass along their thoughts to Jop should send email to sel@wellesleyma.gov.

Ask about Advertising on Natick Report.

Subscribe to our Natick Report daily email

Natick Business Buzz: Images of The Block; Coming to Natick Mall

April 29, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The latest Natick MA business news:

Images of The Block

A website that caters to entrepreneurs looking to showcase their offerings in pop-up shops is sharing renderings of what the building planned for 1 South Main St., might look like come early next year.

While the developer had loosely been referring to the development as a “pop-up hamlet,” it now appears that it will be called The Block. This is the plot across from Natick Common that was devastated by fire 2 years ago.

The idea is for artists and retailers to show off their stuff for relatively short money: $1,200-$1,400 a month for 500 sq. ft. “jewel boxes” of space depending on which of two floors and which street the space is located. The developer envisions a rotating cast of characters reserving the space. A courtyard will provide ambiance.

Visit the Popping Up Next site to get a glimpse of what the development might look like, and if you’re interested in getting a space, putting in your request.

Coming to Natick Mall

Among the newcomers on tap for Natick Mall:

Endangered Hobbies, which already has a shop at the Holyoke Mall. It sells collectibles, like Funko POP figures, and movie- and comics-related stuff.
Gong Cha, a bubble tea shop that’s hiring.
Warby Parker, the fashionable eyeglasses shop

Got business news to share? Email us the details: natickreport@gmail.com

Ask about Advertising on Natick Report.

Subscribe to our Natick Report daily email

US News & World Report 2021 high school rankings: where Natick fits in

April 27, 2021 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

According to the new US News & World Report Best High Schools rankings, Natick High School this year is ranked #66 out of over 300 public high schools in Massachusetts, up from #79 in 2020.

The 1,600+ grades 9 – 12 school has a graduation rate of 99%.

The top-ranked high school in the state this year was once again Boston Latin School, which came in #36 in the national rankings.

How some nearby high schools fared:

Dover-Sherborn, #8
Weston, #9
Hopkinton, #10
Medfield, #14
Needham, #16
Wayland, #18
Wellesley, #26
Newton South, #34
Newton North, #37
Ashland, #46
Holliston, #89
Framingham, #122
Keefe Tech (in Framingham), #302

National ranking

Natick was ranked #1,557 nationally this year, up from #1,923 in 2020. US News & World Report sorts schools based on their performance on state-required tests, graduation rates, and how well schools prepare students for college.

Three Massachusetts schools this year cracked the national top-100 list—Boston Latin School (#36); Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School (#40); and Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School in Marlborough (#93).

As for the #1 school in the country in 2021? Same as last year—Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va.

Read about US News & World Report’s methodologies.

Among factors taken into consideration when ranking schools:

student-to-teacher ratio: (14:1)
math proficiency: 80%
reading proficiency: 79%
percentage that participate in AP exams: 62%
graduation rate: 98%

Click here to see Natick’s High School’s profile and for the full list of 365 Massachusetts secondary schools.

Natick Select Board gives Level99 immersive gaming business go-ahead

April 25, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Level99, “an open world game environment” planned for the Natick Mall, received the Select Board’s blessing this past week once members were satisfied that the venture could operate safely. The board approved food, alcohol, and entertainment licenses.

Level99, as we first wrote last summer, is a venture spearheaded by Matt DuPlessie, whose work through a company called 5 Wits you might be familiar with if you ever visited the now-defunct TOMB interactive space in the Fenway or the 20,000 Leagues or Espionage adventures at Patriot Place in Foxborough. Now DuPlessie & team, via engineering firm Box Fort of Norwood, are envisioning Level99 in 48,600 sq. ft. on the second level of the mall, which has been looking for non-apparel-based tenants for that space in re-imagining itself. Box Fort’s clients include museums and theme parks, to give you a sense of what you might be in for with Level99.

DuPlessie and financial partner Ron Shaich (Panera Bread’s founder) have put $11M into building out the venue over the past 8 months, transforming the former second floor of Sears. DuPlessie refers to the Natick Level99 as the “flagship” site for this venture, perhaps indicating others will be launched down the road.

Given the investment in Level99 at the mall, including all sorts of fancy computer technology to operate the 43 separate entertainment modules within the facility, DuPlessie stressed the organization’s commitment to being responsible business operators who will keep tight control on drinking by patrons. He said he has no intention of allowing a bunch of middle schoolers to run wild and mess the place up. While kids will be allowed into Level99 with a parent or guardian who is at least 25 years old, he made clear that the venue is designed for adults, and that some number of the puzzles and challenges will be too hard for most kids to do successfully.

Level99 will feature 300 seats between a taproom (Night Shift Brewing has been name-dropped in past presentations) and scratch kitchen (“elevated pub food”), as well as a beer hall, but this isn’t intended to be a place where people will just come and hang and watch a game (actually no screens for outside games). The real focus will be on the unique entertainment attractions, which include a mix of surprise and quick (1-3 minutes) physical and mental challenges designed for team play, as well as a scavenger hunt featuring 60+ pieces of art from area artists.

Projections by the outfit are that the entertainment will generate the most revenue, followed by food and then drinks. People will buy tickets that allow them to enjoy the challenges for a specified amount of time.

The main concern among the board was that the venue’s many small rooms could potentially allow patrons to sneak extra drinks or share them with underage customers. Level99 is unlike any other establishment in town in its allowance of drinking in spaces not immediately visible to management, according to Natick Police (though closed circuit cameras will be in use if needed to review action).

In the end, the board accepted assurances from Level99’s experienced team that it has a plan in place to keep customers in line without cramping their style. The board plans a 6-month check-in that syncs with license renewals.

Level99 plans to hire 75 people, and the hope is that it will help rejuvenate the mall in light of the hits it has taken from the pandemic and major tenants leaving.

More: Subscribe to our Natick Report daily email