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The MassBay plan would consoli- date programs from the Wellesley- based school's existing satellite cam- puses in Ashland and on Flagg Drive in Framingham, about a mile north of downtown. MassBay President John O'Donnell said part of the impetus for the move, which has been in the works for several years, was simply to switch from leased space to a modern campus built to suit the college's needs. The state is funding the $59 million proj- ect, allocating the money a bit at a time as the process moves forward. The campus will bring together existing programs in nursing and other health care fields, as well as business, education and automotive technology and allow the college to add courses in industrial biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, computational science, and information and cybersecurity, O'Donnell said. "We're adding a full range of sci- ence labs to make it a comprehensive campus," he said. Students will be able to find op- portunities for internships and clinical work at local businesses and medical facilities, O'Donnell said. The campus will also have seven spots for small startups in the life sciences, medical device, and information technology fields—a sort of incubator linking the college community to innovative new ventures. Campus could be a haven for startups too "We hope we will be defining downtown Framingham as a place for new startup businesses to locate," O'Donnell said. Angus McQuilken, spokesman for the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, which awarded MassBay a $50,000 planning grant for its life sci- ences program last year, said the col- lege's expansion of its course offerings is exactly the kind of thing the center wants to support. "Life sciences is growing very rapidly in the MetroWest area, so one of our goals is to meet the workforce needs of employers," he said. At the same time, McQuilken add- 14 MetroWest495 Biz | February 2015 BY LIVIA GERSHON Special to MetroWest495Biz I f you summed up goals that the MetroWest business community cares about, here are three that might rise to the top of the list: Training middle-skilled workers in medical and technology fields, revitalizing struggling downtown commercial districts and supporting innovative start-ups. And MassBay Community College's plan to open a campus in downtown Framingham—which it hopes will happen in the fall of 2018—promises to deliver on all fronts. Students, startups and skills P H O T O S / E D D C O T E MassBay campus promises multiple benefits for downtown Framingham