W Boston Hotel team wins New Englamd Women in Real Estate Award

The W Boston Hotel team has been honored with the New England Women in Real Estate (NEWIRE) Networking Award for their collaboration on this high-end hotel and residences project. The team includes Sandra Smith, principal, AIA, LEED AP and Ethel MacLeod, senior associate, AIA from TRO Jung|Brannen; Rebecca Lee, Esq. and Maureen Bitler from Edwards Angell Palmer Dodge LLP; Jane Howard, principal at Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates, Inc; Cindy Schlessinger, principal at Epsilon Associates, Inc.; and Judith Nitsch, P.E., LEED AP, Nitsch Engineering, Inc. All are NEWIRE members. The project is currently under construction, with hotel occupancy slated to occur in Fall 2009 and residential occupancy shortly thereafter. The glass skyscraper, designed by William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc., will be 28 stories. Residential units will have commanding views of the Boston skyline. Working on this project for over a decade, each team member had an important role to play. Smith has been principal-in-charge of the project since 2000 and along with colleague Macleod has served as project architect. Lee served as counsel to Sawyer Enterprises, Inc., the project developer, and as "quarterback" for the entire team. As senior paralegal working with Lee, Bitler assisted in the project permitting and the closing of the project financing, as well as matters relating to project abutters and title matters. Schlessinger led an expert team in preparing the comprehensive permitting documents. Howard headed up the transportation permitting and mitigation design, including the transportation-related sections for permitting, a construction management plan and transportation access plan agreement, and intersection/signal design as well. Judith Nitsch supervised the project's complicated site/civil engineering work.