Donald W. Wiest
Donald W. Wiest is a founding partner of Dain, Torpy, Le Ray, Wiest & Garner, P.C. He focuses his practice on complex zoning and related permitting work. He served from 2001 to 2006 as the Land Use Counsel to the Boston Redevelopment Authority (“BRA”). In that capacity, he advised the BRA on a wide range of zoning and other land-use matters, including the permitting of all large-scale projects involving complex zoning (such as PDAs, Urban Renewal Areas, and Institutional Master Plans); drafting new zoning governing significant areas of the city; given numerous presentations on development-related land-use issues at community meetings and public hearings; and interpreting and drafting amendments to the Boston Zoning Code in a wide range of contexts. He worked closely on these matters with public officials throughout city and state government, private developers, and neighborhood groups and other public advocates. Mr. Wiest started his legal career at Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago and then practiced at Wilmer Hale’s Boston Office.
Recent Representative Matters
Cabot, Cabot & Forbes – 159-201 Washington Street Project -St. Gabriel’s
Represented client in the permitting of the redevelopment of the project site to include construction of 4 new residential buildings, the restoration of St. Gabriel’s Monastery, a Boston Landmark Building, the adjacent Church; the retention on the property of the existing Shrine of our Lady of Fatima; the renovation of the vacant house at 201 Washington Street; and the restoration and enhancement of other important, existing features of the Project Site, including the approximately 3-acre, Olmsted Brothers-designed landscaped buffer along Washington Street, which will serve as a buffer between the Proposed Project and nearby residential areas, and the Monastery Path. The Project includes approximately 555 residential apartment units, and 105 of condominium units and approximately 510 parking spaces. The center of the development will focus on the renovation and adaptive reuse of the existing St. Gabriel’s Monastery and Church.
Forest Hills Arborway, Washington Street Project
Represented client in the permitting of its new Student Life and Performance Center, consisting of an approximately 135,000 square foot, 134-foot high building that will contain approximately 252 student residence beds with common living amenities and common areas, a dining commons incorporating a performance stage, a library resource center housing collections and collaborative study spaces, and three rehearsal and performance spaces consisting of a 200-seat black box theater, an orchestra rehearsal room, and a large ensemble/recording room.
Skanska, 1350 Boylston Street
Represented client in the redevelopment of 1346-1352 Boylston Street in the Fenway as a new, 17-story, multifamily apartment building comprising approximately 182,500 square feet of gross floor area that will contain approximately 215 dwelling units; active ground floor uses, and accessory parking for approximately 100 cars.
Envoy Hotel, 70 Sleeper Street
Represented client in the permitting of a 136-room, six-story hotel featuring ground—floor restaurant and civic spaces, as well as rooftop public space, on an approximately 0.4-acre parcel of land in Boston’s Seaport District.
New Atlantic Development, 600 Harrison Avenue
Represented client in the permitting of a new, multifamily apartment building consisting of approximately 193,264 square feet of gross floor area, including approximately 160 residential units, typical multifamily accessory uses, ground-floor commercial space, and an underground parking garage containing approximately 162 spaces, on land ground-leased from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston.
Professional Activities and Honors
- President, Boston Public Market Association
- Advisory Board Member, Franklin Park Woodlands Association
- Each year from 2008 through 2023, Don has been named one of the top lawyers in New England in the Land Use/Zoning category by Super Lawyers, a joint publication of Boston Magazine and Law & Politics. The Super Lawyers comprise the top 5% of lawyers in the state.
Bar and Court Admissions
Mr. Wiest is admitted to the bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Education
J.D., University of Michigan Law School, 1995
B.A., University of Pennsylvania, 1991 (magna cum laude)