Joshua Lee Smith

About Joshua Lee Smith

Joshua Lee Smith is a land use and real estate lawyer who focuses on complex commercial real estate matters involving permitting, acquisitions, leasing, environmental compliance and financing. He has successfully permitted a wide variety of projects involving high-density multifamily, public utility infrastructure, higher education, cannabis, renewable energy, large-scale industrial and life science developments. Josh has helped clients develop properties in numerous communities throughout the Commonwealth. He has been involved in many of the most high-profile economic development projects in Central Massachusetts over the span of nearly two decades. His clients primarily consist of developers, public and private corporations, public service corporations, colleges and universities and lending institutions. A unique aspect of his practice, which has played a vital role in supporting the public welfare, economic development growth, clean energy goals and overall reliability of electric service to thousands of residents, businesses and institutions, includes his representation of public utility companies in the siting and permitting of bulk power substations, regional high-voltage transmission systems, LNG facilities, solar photovoltaic generation systems and battery energy storage systems. Josh also serves as an expert zoning witness in hearings before the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities. The content on my profile may be considered attorney advertising under the rules of the local jurisdiction. Please treat it as such and refer to my “Contact Settings” below for further details.

Experience

1. Partner

   Bowditch & Dewey, Llp

   Sep 2005 — Present

   371-unit apartment complex at site of former historic Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church • 161,881 sq. ft. collegiate residence hall with ground floor retail along a prominent commercial corridor• Permitting for highly-publicized $92M performing arts center• Acquisition, development and financing of former Worcester County Courthouse involving a $53M development of 117 residential units• Permitting for various adult-use marijuana retail, cultivation and product manufacturing establishments• Permitting for sq. ft. office and research facility for international medical device company• Permitting for sq. ft. expansion of collegiate athletic complex• Permitting for various large-scale public utility infrastructure and improvement projects throughout the Commonwealth• Serving as an expert zoning witness for public service corporation with respect to various matters before Massachusetts Dept. of Public Utilities• Highly-publicized purchase and ground leasing of property and permitting for development of sq. ft. academic center• Negotiation of highly-publicized license for semi-pro hockey team• Purchase and financing of multi-tenant shopping centers• Purchase and development of highly publicized sq. ft. retreat center• Purchase of former hospital site in multi-phased, 10-year acquisition involving numerous real estate, environmental, zoning and leasing issues• Financing of highly-publicized,$33M, 168-room hotel development• Historic rehabilitation of a sq. ft. former newspaper building complex involving New Markets and historic tax credits• Financing of highly-publicized $18M hockey rink facility and mixed use development• Leasing and development of large-scale solar photovoltaic generation facilities in various communities

Education

• Syracuse University College of Law

  Juris Doctor

  2001 — 2005