Joshua Lee Smith is a land use and real estate lawyer focusing on complex commercial real estate matters involving permitting, acquisitions, leasing, environmental compliance and financing. His clients primarily consist of developers, public and private corporations, public utility companies, colleges and universities and lending institutions. He works on a variety of matters involving urban and suburban developments and retail, office, public utility, industrial, education and hotel projects.
Josh works closely with public utility companies on projects involving the siting, development and permitting of bulk power substations, gas turbine generator facilities, high-voltage transmission lines, solar photovoltaic generation systems and operations and equipment management facilities. He serves as an expert zoning witness in hearings before the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities.
Clients turn to Josh to navigate challenging legal and business issues.
Honors
Josh is a 2011 recipient of the “40 Under Forty” Award by the Worcester Business Journal.
Besides work
Josh is active in his church and coaches his son’s Little League baseball team.
In the news
- Worcester Telegram & Gazette quotes Joshua Lee Smith in “Holy Cross’ $92M Performing Arts Center Gets Planning Board Approval“
- Joshua Lee Smith moderates Smart City: Smarter Connectivity, Better Quality of Life at Game Changers 2018
- Joshua Lee Smith appointed to Westborough Economic Development Committee
- Sturbridge Villager quotes Joshua Lee Smith in “Review Committee Approves Multiple Signs”
- Daily Times Chronicle quotes Joshua Lee Smith in “Council OKs 7-Eleven store proposal”
- Worcester Telegram & Gazette discusses the acquisition and $53 million development of the former Worcester County Courthouse property in “Done deal: Old Worcester courthouse sold to developer”
- Grafton News quotes Joshua Lee Smith in “Debate sparked over gas station proposal”
- Southcoast Today mentions Joshua Lee Smith in “Another switching station proposed for Somerset”
- Worcester Telegram & Gazette quotes Joshua Lee Smith in “Worcester Board Gives Holy Cross OK for Major Expansion of Athletic Complex”
- Worcester Telegram & Gazette discusses the development of a 36,000 square foot alumni and student engagement center in “Clark celebrates opening new Alumni and Student Engagement Center”
- Agawam Advertiser quotes Joshua Lee Smith in “Heated Discussion Over Solar Farm Law as Neighbors Fight Loss of Farmland”
- WickedLocal Plainville quotes Joshua Lee Smith in “Plainville OK’s Special Permit for National Grid Substation at Casino”
- Westborough Life features the Smith family in “Meet Your Neighbor”
- Andover Townsman references Joshua Lee Smith in “Looking for a Land Bridge”
- MassLive quotes Joshua Lee Smith in “Former Downtown Worcester Nightclub Approved for Apartments”
- MassLive quotes Joshua Lee Smith in “Holden Approves New Tennis Courts that Resulted from Merger with Worcester Tennis Club”
Affiliations
- Member, Westborough Economic Development Committee
- Finance Committee Member, Worcester Art Museum
- Corporator, Greater Worcester Community Foundation
- Board Member, Board of Directors of Music Worcester, Inc.
- Board Member, Board of Directors of Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce
- Executive Committee Member, Babson College Real Estate Career Affinity Network
- Member, Asian-American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts
- Member, Massachusetts Bar Association
Bar Admissions
- Massachusetts
Education
- J.D., magna cum laude, Syracuse University College of Law
- B.S., summa cum laude, Babson College
Permitting and zoning
- Acquisition and development of the former Worcester County Courthouse property involving $53 million development of 114 residential units
- Permitting for highly-publicized 46,000 square foot renovation and 139,000 square foot expansion of a collegiate athletic complex
- Permitting for a rising fast food chain
- Permitting for various public utility infrastructure and improvement projects throughout the Commonwealth, including projects involving two high-profile casino developments
- Serving as expert zoning witness for Department of Public Utility hearings for high-profile, interstate transmission line project
Purchase, sales, leasing and licensing
- Highly-publicized purchase and ground leasing of property and permitting for development of 36,000 square foot academic center
- Purchase, leasing and development of numerous gasoline station and convenience store sites throughout the Commonwealth for publicly-traded and private operators
- Negotiation of a highly-publicized license for semi-pro hockey team
- Purchase and financing of multi-tenant shopping centers
- Purchase and development of highly publicized 35,000 square foot retreat center
- Purchase of former hospital site in multi-phased, 10-year acquisition involving numerous real estate, environmental, zoning and leasing issues
Financing and development
- Financing of highly-publicized, $33 million, 168-room hotel development
- Historic rehabilitation of a 135,000 square foot former newspaper building complex involving New Markets and historic tax credits
- Financing of highly-publicized $18 million hockey rink facility and mixed use development
- Leasing and development of large-scale solar photovoltaic generation facilities in various communities, including consultation of one of the largest multi-community solar build outs in the state’s history, with over 50,000 solar panels
