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 mixed-use multifamily, 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.
Besides work
Josh is active in his church and coaches his son’s Little League baseball team.
Affiliations
- Board Member, Board of Directors of the Worcester Regional Research Bureau
- Board Member, Board of Directors of the Southern Worcester County Economic Development Organization
Previous
- Chairman, Board of Directors of Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce
- 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.
- Executive Committee Member, Babson College Real Estate Career Affinity Network
- Member, Asian-American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts
- Member, Massachusetts Bar Association
Honors
- Named a Go To Lawyer for Commercial Real Estate, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (2023)
- “40 Under Forty,” Worcester Business Journal (2011)
Media Mentions
- “Worcester Planning Board OKs plan for 371-unit apartment complex on Mount Carmel Church site” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “NY developer proposes 150k-sq.-ft. warehouse at former Worcester movie theater” (Worcester Business Journal)
- “Planning Board OKs plans for 218-unit Shrewsbury Street project” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Worcester apartments to receive $178M renovation, adding 100 new units” (Worcester Business Journal)
- “Downtown Worcester apartment development given planning board nod” (Worcester Business Journal)
- Joshua Lee Smith moderates Bowditch Economic Development Summit on Multifamily Development and Inclusionary Zoning
- “Here’s the beef: Developer plans 9-story building at old Fairway site on Grafton Street” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Six-story mixed-use development proposed for long-vacant Madison Street lot in Worcester” (Worcester Business Journal)
- “With expansion of MBI’s biomed center, state and city say Worcester rises on biotech scene” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- Joshua Lee Smith Speaks with Worcester Telegram about Two Approved Higher Ed Real Estate Projects
- “Holy Cross plans to raze 4 College Hill buildings, build 2 new dorms” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- Joshua Lee Smith Spoke at Bisnow’s “The Rise of Boston’s Neighborhoods and Importance of Location” (related article: “Developers Chasing Attractive Live-Work-Play Spaces For Boston’s Growing Workforce“)
- “Resourcefulness sees BV Chamber through the pandemic” (Blackstone Valley Xpress)
- “Central Mass. ‘Cannabis Capital of the East‘” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “North Adams Planning Board OKs marijuana cultivation in former Crane Stationery HQ” (The Berkshire Eagle)
- “Retail pot storefront gets special permit to open on Mountain Street East” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “49-unit apartment building OK’d for Sever Street in Worcester” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Marijuana retailer New Dia preparing to open in Worcester” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Suburban Boston Developers: Coronavirus Pandemic Is Time For CRE To ‘Exercise Humanity’” (Bisnow)
- “Worcester OKs marijuana grower and ‘craft cannabis’ business for Fremont St.” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Resinate, New Dia get marijuana licenses in Worcester” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Nature’s Remedy gets tentative nod for adult-use marijuana in Grafton” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Mass. Biomedical Initiatives expands incubator space, offering startups more room to grow” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “With 2 more marijuana permits Worcester nears self-imposed cap” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Nature’s Remedy, TDMA get marijuana shop licenses in Worcester” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Worcester licenses Millbrook Street pot shop” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Worcester OKs 2 pot shops, on Southbridge St., Millbrook St.” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Worcester OKs more adult cannabis retail operations” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Worcester board green-lights Lincoln Street pot store” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Mission MA, The Botanist get local approvals for recreational pot sales” (Worcester Business Journal)
- “Marijuana shops face little opposition in Worcester” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Worcester Planning Board OKs marijuana products operation” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Westborough voters approve tax agreement for Olympus Corporation” (Community Advocate)
- “Rehab of old Worcester County Courthouse to start in spring” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Temescal gets special permit to grow recreational pot in Worcester” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Holy Cross’ $92M Performing Arts Center Gets Planning Board Approval” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- 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
- “Review Committee Approves Multiple Signs” (Sturbridge Villager)
- “Council OKs 7-Eleven store proposal” Daily Times Chronicle)
- “Done deal: Old Worcester courthouse sold to developer” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Debate sparked over gas station proposal” (Grafton News)
- “Another switching station proposed for Somerset” (Southcoast Today)
- “Worcester Board Gives Holy Cross OK for Major Expansion of Athletic Complex” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Clark celebrates opening new Alumni and Student Engagement Center” (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
- “Heated Discussion Over Solar Farm Law as Neighbors Fight Loss of Farmland” (Agawam Advertiser)
- “Plainville OK’s Special Permit for National Grid Substation at Casino” (WickedLocal Plainville)
- “Meet Your Neighbor” (Westborough Life)
- “Looking for a Land Bridge” (Andover Townsman)
- “Former Downtown Worcester Nightclub Approved for Apartments” (MassLive)
- “Holden Approves New Tennis Courts that Resulted from Merger with Worcester Tennis Club” (MassLive)
Bar Admissions
- Massachusetts
Education
- J.D., magna cum laude, Syracuse University College of Law
- B.S., summa cum laude, Babson College
Permitting and zoning
- Permitting for a highly-publicized $92 million performing arts center
- Acquisition, development and financing of the former Worcester County Courthouse property involving a $53 million development of 117 residential units
- Permitting for numerous transit-oriented developments involving high density multifamily mixed-use projects
- Permitting for various adult-use marijuana retail, cultivation and product manufacturing establishments
- Permitting for a 150,000 square foot office and research facility for an international medical device company
- Permitting for a 139,000 square foot expansion of a collegiate athletic complex
- Permitting for various large-scale public utility infrastructure and improvement projects throughout the Commonwealth, including projects involving two high-profile casino developments
- Serving as an expert zoning witness for a public service corporation with respect to various matters before the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities
Purchase, sales, leasing and licensing
- Highly-publicized purchase and ground leasing of property and permitting for development of a 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 a highly publicized 35,000 square foot retreat center
- Purchase of a former hospital site in a multi-phased, 10-year acquisition involving numerous real estate, environmental, zoning and leasing issues
Financing and development
- Financing of a 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 a 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
Events + Recordings
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Annual Economic Development Summit: Developing for Climate Resiliency
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Joshua Lee Smith Presented at 8th Annual Woostapreneurs Forum
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Joshua Lee Smith Spoke at Worcester Business Journal’s Central MA Life Sciences Forum
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Annual Economic Development Summit: Multifamily Development and Inclusionary Zoning
Publications
News
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Press Release: Bowditch’s Joshua Lee Smith Named Go To Lawyer for Commercial Real Estate by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
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Joshua Lee Smith Quoted in MassLive’s “Worcester Academy head says it’s ‘joining Worcester revitalization’ with new athletic facility”
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Joshua Lee Smith and Mark Borenstein Featured in “Home Field advantage: Local attorneys smooth the path for developers” in the Worcester Business Journal
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Joshua Lee Smith Quoted in “Planning Board OKs plans for 218-unit Shrewsbury Street project” in the Worcester Telegram
Commercial Real Estate Insight & News
Press Release: Bowditch’s Joshua Lee Smith Named Go To Lawyer for Commercial Real Estate by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
Annual Economic Development Summit: Developing for Climate Resiliency
Joshua Lee Smith Quoted in MassLive’s “Worcester Academy head says it’s ‘joining Worcester revitalization’ with new athletic facility”