More Rooms and a Restaurant for the Bossert Hotel

Last night more details were revealed about the Bossert’s conversion back to a hotel at a Community Board 2’s Landuse Committee meeting. Architect Gene Kaufman, in the first formal presentation for the development, asked CB2 to change the use from an existing community facility to a transient hotel. The well-known back-story: The Jehovah’s Witnesses bought this building, known as the “Waldorf Astoria of Brooklyn” in the 80s, and got a variance to use the building as a free hotel to visiting Jehovah’s Witnesses. On the exterior, very little about the building will change under new ownership. Repair and restoration will go where needed; the historic entrance on Montague Street will remain; and only some flagpoles and signage will be added. Here are the interesting plans: The current 224-room configuration will be upped to 302 rooms; there will be a small restaurant open to the public with an entrance on Montague; and the rooftop lounge will be restored (!!!!), most likely with public access. The few residents who lived, and continue to live, at the hotel before the Jehovah’s Witnesses bought it will remain. Otherwise, the majority of the spectacular interior will be kept as is. The biggest issue voiced in the public hearing concerned parking and traffic. There will be no parking lot at the hotel, but a valet service for the hotel will work with commercial garages in the neighborhood. Nearby residents worried taxis would clog up Montague Street. Other residents voiced concern that no notice was given of the public hearing, and the board had some unanswered questions about the management plans for the hotel. Due to these issues, the Landuse Committee voted to table the motion until they had more information. Also still no word on the final price of the building (rumored to be around $90 million); word at the public hearing is that it’s still under contract.
Bistricer to Buy Bossert Hotel, Kaufman to Renovate [Brownstoner]
Brooklyn Heights’ The Bossert Will Be a Hotel Again [Brownstoner]