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.
Michael O’Neil is on the hunt for the next John Hancock.
As many Boston sports fans know, the insurance company first sponsored the Boston Marathon 40 years ago, helping usher in the modern professional era of the race as well as tens of millions of dollars in community fund-raising each year.
O’Neil wants to make a similar leap for the race he runs, the Boston Triathlon. This will be the first year without a naming-rights sponsor after nine years with Ameriprise Financial-owned Columbia Threadneedle Investments. O’Neil is seeking a successor that can help make an impact on the race the way Hancock once did with the marathon, a sponsorship role now played by Bank of America.
“We’re looking for that next transformational partner that wants to do something like that,” O’Neil said.
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The 18-year-old triathlon draws nearly 2,500 athletes to Carson Beach in South Boston each August, for sprint and Olympic-distance triathlons, and also features free kids’ races the day before at the same location; Amazon has been a big sponsor for the “Kids Day” events.
O’Neil says he would like to extend the race beyond loops in South Boston to showcase more of the city and boost tourism; the Meet Boston tourism bureau is also among the race’s sponsors. Another hope of O’Neil’s: to continue community efforts that he and his race management firm, Ethos, undertook with support from Columbia Threadneedle, including donations to Boston Medical Center and the city’s “Swim Safe” program to provide swim lessons for kids. (O’Neil started an affiliated nonprofit to help expand this community work in 2024.)
He expects the race’s naming-rights sponsorship to cost “in the mid-six figures” annually.
“We’re over this hump now, after 18 years, we’re an institution,” O’Neil said. “We’re seeking a Boston-based company, that’s headquartered here or has a large presence here, that wants to make an impact on the community. … We know how to do that.”
This is an installment of our weekly Bold Types column about the movers and shakers on Boston’s business scene.
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Jon Chesto can be reached at jon.chesto@globe.com. Follow him @jonchesto.
Although it is just June 22, it’s certainly starting to seem like the Boston Red Sox could end up being sellers later on this summer when the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline gets here.
Boston took two out of three games from the Seattle Mariners over the weekend, but still finds itself 13 games under .500 at 31-44. Right now, Boston is six games out of an American League Wild Card spot as well. Boston needs a long winning streak to turn the tide. If not, the club will certainly trade pieces away. The conversation has gotten loud enough around the team that Red Sox starter Sonny Gray said he “would be open” to having a conversation about waiving his no-trade clause if someone from the club approached him about it to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe.
“If someone came to me from the Red Sox and made a decision that that’s the direction that this team was going to go, I would be open for a conversation,” Gray said to Healey. “Whatever happens from then, only time will tell. But I would be open for a conversation.
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Could Sonny Gray Be The Next Star Out Of Boston?
Jun 18, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images
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“Holding veto power is ‘an earned thing’ and means a lot, Gray said. He negotiated it into the three-year, $75 million deal he signed with the Cardinals heading into 2024.”
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When it comes to Gray, he has been a major addition for Boston so far this season. He has a 3.12 ERA in 13 starts to go along with a 55-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 69 1/3 innings pitched. Gray is also 8-1 on the season. Even in a campaign full of losses for Boston, Gray has been able to consistently be a stopper for the club.
If he were to become available, he would be an intriguing, although imperfect trade candidate. From a talent perspective, he’s awesome and would help a contender. But from a contract point of view, he has a $30 million mutual option for the 2027 season with a $10 million buyout. Mutual options rarely get picked up. The buyout is very high and could be a barrier. That will be a bridge to cross later on, though. What’s important to note right now is the fact that Gray is “open” to a conversation about a trade. It doesn’t mean that it will happen, but it’s possible.
BOSTON (AP) — A Delta Air Lines jet was roughly 300 feet (90 meters) from an American Airlines plane during a close call at Boston’s airport that forced the Delta aircraft to abort a weekend landing attempt, an aviation expert said Sunday.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it was investigating the incident between two commercial flights that happened Saturday at Boston Logan International Airport.
Todd Curtis, a former safety engineer at Boeing, estimated the distance between the two jetliners using Flightradar24, a website that tracks flights. Curtis now coproduces a podcast about flight safety issues.
“This is a significant incident,” Curtis said, adding that it was particularly concerning because it involved two professional airline crews.
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He said federal aviation officials have been concerned about such runway incursions for a while now and will scrutinize Saturday’s close call.
Near-misses and runway incursions at U.S. airports will be the subject of a hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation will seek ways to strengthen safety across the national airspace system.
The Delta flight from Dallas had to execute a go-around, or aborted landing, to avoid the American plane departing from an intersecting runway, according to the FAA and flight logs.
The crew of Delta flight 2351 coordinated with air traffic control to perform the go-around, an airline spokesperson said. The plane, which had 129 passengers and six crew members on board, landed safely and deplaned normally, according to the spokesperson.
Go-arounds are safe, routine procedures performed at the discretion of the pilot or air traffic controllers, according to the FAA.
“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.”
