BOSTON–On behalf of Massachusetts-based WS Development, Amy Prange has spent the last 8 years overseeing the Seaport Project: 7.6 million square feet of mixed-use development across 20 city blocks, creating Boston’s newest neighborhood.
“I enjoy turning an idea into lines on paper and then into the built environment,” says Ms. Prange, Vice President of Development, Seaport WS Development. “There is nothing more rewarding than walking past a completed project and seeing how the public interacts with the space.”
To date, Ms. Prange and her team have delivered 1.1 MSF of commercial office/lab space to Amazon and Foundation Medicine, Inc collectively, along with leading her team on the design and construction of Harbor Way, Boston’s newest public linear park.
Ms. Prange will be honored as the Outstanding Women of Commercial Real Estate 2024 by the Boston Real Estate Times on Feb. 22, 2024 at its Annual Awards gala at the Burlington Marriott Hotel in Burlington, MA. To register for the gala, please click here.
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Currently under construction, Ms. Prange is managing the development of Amazon’s second tower, One Boston Wharf Road, a 700,000 SF project that will feature ground floor retail and a new performing arts center. One Boston Wharf Road will be the largest net-zero carbon office building in Boston, with completion targeted in mid-2024.
111 Harbor Way Boston Seaport by WS, Photographer Eric Levin
Ms. Prange hods a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Before transitioning to Development, she worked as a licensed civil engineer for Nitsch Engineering providing civil site design, site permitting and stormwater master planning services for the firm’s clients.
Ms. Prange also worked at Colliers International as part of their Development and Consulting Services group, providing OPM services for high-profile new construction and redevelopment projects including Boston Public Market, Envoy Hotel, Godfrey Hotel and the North Bennet Street School.
One Boston Wharf Road
in 1990, WS Development is one of few vertically integrated real estate companies that conceptualizes, owns, operates and leases more than 100 properties that range from cutting-edge urban spaces to lifestyle and community centers. With over 22 million square feet of existing space and an additional nine million square feet under development, it is one of the largest privately-owned development firms in the country.
WS Development is currently embarking on the largest private development project in Boston’s history, the Boston Seaport project, a 20 city block mixed use neighborhood that is defining the future of Boston. Culture, industry, and community converge in Boston’s Seaport district, creating one of the most dynamic and vibrant neighborhoods in the country.
Unlocked after a decade of development and $22 billion of public investment, Seaport is now home to an ecosystem of more than 350 companies, from global leaders in technology and biotech, to groundbreaking startups. In the heart of the district, WS development is transforming 33 acres of land, composed of 7.6 million square feet of residential, hotel, office, retail, entertainment, civic and cultural uses, as well as signature public open spaces.
Here is a Q/A with Ms. Prange:
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Boston Real Estate Times: What do you enjoy most about your work?
Amy Prange: I enjoy turning an idea into lines on paper and then into the built environment. There is nothing more rewarding than walking past a completed project and seeing how the public interacts with the space. It is even better when I know that my team completed that project on time and on budget.
I also really enjoy working through complex challenges that others may choose to walk away from. I have a high frustration tolerance and a very strong will and where there’s a will, there’s a way!
BRET: What do success and failure mean to you?
AP: To me, failure is feedback, an opportunity for change, or an obstacle that you must negotiate to move forward. There are many lessons that can be learned when things go wrong, and they frequently do in development and construction.
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Success is having done whatever it takes to meet project milestones while navigating around the setbacks that are inevitable in this industry. A 500,000-sf tower can take up to 5 years to develop from permitting through occupancy in a good economy. It is a long road with many milestones to track and many team members to manage and motivate. At the end of successful projects, everyone involved feels good about what they accomplished and looks forward to working together again on a future project.
BRET: What is the one thing you attribute your success to?
AP: I am a people person. I like getting to know the people that I work with and for me, that includes knowing them at a personal level. We spend so much time at work! I like to bring things back to the human level, especially after conflict. I think I have been so successful in overcoming difficult challenges because people like to work with me, and they know that I value them and their time.
BRET: To which charitable, community and professional groups do you belong and why?
AP: I have been a member of CREW Boston since 2011 and really value the community and support from that extraordinary group of women. I have made lifelong friends and have had incredible experiences including winning the 2023 CREW National Member-to-Member Impact Award for the 111 Harbor Way Development, a project boasting 25 women on the team at last year’s annual convention.
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I am also in my second year of teaching religious education at Good Shepherd Parish in Wayland. I volunteered when I signed my daughter up last year and genuinely enjoy the conversations that we have in class about how to treat people with respect and kindness. The children are so curious and ask amazing questions.
BRET: In what way do you feel you have most positively influenced or served the local community, your company/organization or professional field?
AP: It is still unusual to find women in development in leadership positions. I hope that by existing here, I can help inspire other women to pursue a path in commercial real estate to further support the advancement and parity of women in this field.
BRET: Is there any aptitude, gift or talent that not many people know about you?
AP: I grew up in a very diverse community in Brockton, Massachusetts. As a result, I am quick to rationalize and empathize with people from different backgrounds to better understand their distinct points of view. I think this makes me an effective leader, synthesizer, and a better creator of public space.
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BRET: What are your hobbies and interests?
AP: I have two daughters, Lucy (7) and Natalie (5). Most of my free time is spent with them and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Beyond my family, I have started to prioritize self-care in the last couple of years inclusive of regular acupuncture appointments, which is excellent for stress relief and mental wellbeing. I also enjoy a monthly facial as a treat to myself and of course, I am an avid Real Housewives fan. Watching grown women argue on television brings me peace at the end of a long day.
BRET: Your favorite books?
AP: I enjoy reading biographies of people in pop culture, thrillers and historical fiction. My favorite historical fiction series is “Outlander” written by Diana Gabaldon. I finished Book 9 recently, “Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone” and I can’t wait for the 10th and final book!
BRET: Your favorite quotes?
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AP: Judy Nitsch, the founder of Nitsch Engineering, has been my mentor since college, and I had the privilege to work for her at the start of my career. She has two meaningful quotes that I still reference regularly. The first is “They can’t say ‘yes’ if you don’t ask,” which helps me remember to advocate for myself. The second is “This would be good for you,” which encourages me to step outside of my comfort zone. These are words to live by for every woman in this industry.
BRET: The one person you would like to meet and why?
AP: I would love to have met Queen Elizabeth but will gladly settle for HRH Kate Middleton. I would be thrilled to hear what a typical day is like for her and to tour her closet and hat collection!
BRET: Your core values you try to live by?
AP: Be kind to others and yourself.
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Never tell a lie.
BRET: What inspires you?
AP: My children love to describe me as a “builder” to anyone that will listen. I think it’s the perfect way to describe what I do on a day-to-day basis, even though most days my role is to encourage other project managers, architects, engineers, and construction workers to deliver the plans and tools that will result in the “building”. However, I am inspired by their awe in me and my accomplishments, and by knowing that I’m part of an industry that is doing the best we can now to create energy efficient and sustainable places that will become the places we love for generations to come.
Holiday deliveries are stacking up on Boston doorsteps and police warn that means porch pirate season is back.
In the past year, one in four Americans was a victim of package theft with losses averaging between $50 and $100 per incident, according data in a report on package thefts in 2025 from security.org.
December is the peak month for porch pirates, with households receiving 10 more packages on average at the end of the year than at the start, the report found. Additionally, those who live in apartments and condos are over three times as likely to have packages stolen than people in single-family homes.
The crimes are something Boston residents are no stranger to.
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During the holiday season in 2024, South Boston was terrorized by an individual the Boston Police Department dubbed the “Tom Brady of Porch Pirates.”
A 34-year-old woman named Kerri Flynn was arrested in connection with the thieveries on Christmas Eve 2024, after a Boston police cadet saw her in South Boston holding two bags stuffed with unopened packages.
Prosecutors ultimately dismissed her charges related to the South Boston thefts, as she pleaded guilty to charges in two other larceny cases. Flynn was sentenced to a year of probation with conditions to remain drug-free with screens and undergo a substance abuse evaluation with treatment.
To avoid another season of stolen gifts, Boston police are urging residents to take precautions and released a video on the topic Thursday.
The department advises to track deliveries and be home — or ask a neighbor — to grab them, or use secure options like lockers or scheduled drop-offs. Police also say to install a doorbell camera and immediately report any missing items, regardless of price or size.
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Carriers like Amazon, FedEx, UPS and USPS also have a few more pieces of advice, like requiring signatures for high-value items and to avoid leaving packages out overnight.
Amazon recommends using Lockers or Hub Counters and enabling Photo-on-Delivery, while UPS suggests signing up for My Choice to redirect packages to Access Points. USPS also offers “Informed Delivery” and options to hold for pickup — all tools that may keep holiday gifts from getting intercepted before they reach the tree.
The Boston City Council unanimously backed a resolution that calls for the Wu administration to release updated cost estimates for the city’s taxpayer-funded half of a public-private plan to rehab White Stadium for a professional soccer team.
The Council voted, 12-0, Wednesday for a resolution put forward by Councilor Julia Mejia “in support of demanding updated cost estimates for the White Stadium project” — a figure the mayor during her reelection campaign committed to disclosing by the end of the year but has not yet provided.
“This resolution is to ensure that the City Council and the people of Boston know the exact financial commitment the city is being asked to take on,” Mejia said. “The last public estimate was over $100 million, and we have every reason to suspect that the number has changed as construction costs continue to rise.
“Yet no updated cost breakdown has been presented to this body or the public. We cannot govern responsibly without real numbers. We cannot ask residents to trust a project with a price tag that is still unclear, and we cannot move forward with a proposal of this scale without a full transparent process that lets us know what the city is on the hook for.”
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Mejia held a press conference with opponents of the White Stadium project and Councilors Ed Flynn and Erin Murphy, who co-sponsored the resolution, ahead of the day’s Council meeting.
Flynn said the resolution’s request was for the city to provide “basic and transparent information on how much the White Stadium plan is going to cost the residents.”
“I think residents do want to know how much it will cost and what impact that will have on taxes in the city,” Flynn told the Herald. “I support the development of White Stadium, but I don’t want to see it privatized.”
Melissa Hamel, a Jamaica Plain resident who attended the press conference and is part of a group of Franklin Park neighbors who have joined with the Emerald Necklace Conservancy in suing the city to stop the plan, said she was happy that the Council passed the resolution, but was “skeptical” that the city administration would follow suit and release updated cost projections.
“For me, as a taxpayer who’s lived in Boston for over 40 years and paid their taxes happily, I’m outraged that they want to continue to pursue this,” Hamel told the Herald. “For me to spend $100 million-plus … for a project that would primarily benefit a private enterprise, it’s just insanity to me.”
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Hamel said the situation was particularly fraught given that the resolution was taken up by the Council on the same day it voted to set tax rates that will bring a projected 13% tax increase for the average single-family homeowner next year.
“For them to take money that is designated for the Boston Public School children and the facilities to spend it on a project that really primarily benefits wealthy investors who don’t even live in our community is insulting to me, and then to find out that I’m going to have to pay more taxes, 13%, to fund these projects is just outrageous,” Hamel said.
“The city is already too expensive for most people to live in,” she added.
Mayor Michelle Wu in July laid out a timeline for the city to release an estimate for what the roughly $200 million and counting public-private plan would cost taxpayers by the end of the year, but the final price tag has still not been disclosed.
Flynn said he anticipated that, based on the mayor’s stated timeline, the Council would have already had those figures by its last meeting of the year on Wednesday.
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Wu’s office on Tuesday did not specifically respond to Mejia’s comments in her resolution — where she wrote that the city’s “significant fiscal pressures” heighten “the need for accurate cost estimates before committing substantial public resources” — but did provide a partial cost update which appears to mirror estimates that have been provided since last year.
“As the mayor outlined earlier this year, the complete bid packages for White Stadium were published in October. Under the timeline laid out by Massachusetts public construction laws, the responses will be evaluated and awarded in early 2026,” the mayor’s office said in a statement.
“As of Dec. 9, the city’s project expenditures include $12 million on demolition and construction, and an additional $76 million in subcontracts have been awarded,” Wu’s office said. “After more than 40 years of failed starts, White Stadium is being rebuilt as a state-of-the-art facility for BPS student-athletes and the community, open year-round. We are excited to be underway.”
The project has doubled in cost since it was announced by the city and its private partner, Boston Unity Soccer Partners, and the mayor said last summer that costs would likely increase again due to federal tariffs driving up expenses for steel and other construction materials.
The last estimated cost to taxpayers was $91 million, which was revealed late last year by the Wu administration and represented a significant jump from the city’s initial projection of $50 million for its half of the contentious project.
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Josh Kraft, who challenged Wu for mayor before dropping out of the race two days after his 49-point loss to her in the September preliminary election, revealed an internal city document last June that showed the cost to taxpayers was projected to climb as high as $172 million.
Wu acknowledged the potential cost cited in the internal City Hall document, but described it as a “worst-case scenario.”
The mayor has declined to provide an updated cost estimate in recent months for the city’s plan to rehab White Stadium into the home of a new professional women’s soccer team, Boston Legacy FC, which will share the facility with Boston Public Schools student-athletes and the public as part of a city lease agreement.
Councilors who support the mayor’s White Stadium plan said that while they continue to take issue with “misinformation” that the project is opposed by most of the community, they opted to support the resolution because they found the request for updated cost estimates to be “reasonable.”
BOSTON (WHDH) – Around 400 children from every neighborhood in Boston got in the holiday spirit Tuesday night while they shopped with Boston police officers at a Target in Dorchester as part of the 17th annual Shop with a Cop event.
“It is far better than the North Pole and a little warmer, too,” Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox joked.
The joy is all made possible by the Boston police department, the Boston Police Foundation, and its sponsorship partners.
“This is what they truly do,” said Dan Linskey, Vice Chair of the Boston Police Foundation. “Cops care, and our Boston cops care about our community, care about the kids, and leading the way to make sure kids have a great holiday season.”
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The event started more than a decade ago with about 100 children, and soon grew to what it is today.
Officers involved said they know the true meaning of Christmas is sharing joy with the community.
“The first time kids are seeing a police officer, if it’s a positive experience with the magic of Christmas, that’s a lot better than a negative interaction with a police officer any time,” said Linskey.
Other law enforcement agencies also got in on the fun, with members of the MBTA transit police to the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department also shopping until they dropped.
“I’m thankful for all our officers who care so much not only about the residents but the kids. This is a kids event. That warms my heart,” said Cox.
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“I enjoy turning an idea into lines on paper and then into the built environment,” says Ms. Prange, Vice President of Development, Seaport WS Development. “There is nothing more rewarding than walking past a completed project and seeing how the public interacts with the space.”
