Hotel Bossert

Last updated
Bossert
WSTM Zefferus 0126.jpg
Hotel Bossert
General information
Location Brooklyn, New York City
Coordinates 40°41′41.5″N73°59′45″W / 40.694861°N 73.99583°W / 40.694861; -73.99583
OwnerDavid Bistricer of Clipper Equity and the Chetrit Group
Technical details
Floor count14
Design and construction
Architect(s)Helmle & Huberty
DeveloperLouis Bossert
Other information
Number of suites224

The Hotel Bossert is a historic hotel in Brooklyn, New York. Opened in 1909, it was bought by the Jehovah's Witnesses in 1983 and used by them until 2012, when it was sold for conversion back to a hotel. The conversion work has stalled multiple times since then and the hotel has remained vacant. The Bossert was once known as "the Waldorf-Astoria of Brooklyn". It was the site of the celebration of the Brooklyn Dodgers' only World Series championship. [1]

Contents

History

Early years

Hotel Bossert Hicks Montague jeh.jpg
Montague Street entrance WSTM Zefferus 0086.jpg
Montague Street entrance

The hotel was built in 1909 by Louis Bossert, a Brooklyn lumber magnate, at 98 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights. It had an Italian Renaissance Revival-style exterior. [1] It was designed as an apartment hotel. [2] The architects were Helmle & Huberty. [3]

During the 1920s, the Hotel Bossert was known for its Marine Roof, a two-level restaurant on the roof of the 14-story building that provided diners with a commanding view of Manhattan. [1] Popular bandleader Freddy Martin initially gained popularity through a lengthy stint performing at the Marine Roof in the early 1930s. Some of his earliest commercial recordings, which pioneered the 'tenor band' style of sweet dance music, were credited only as the 'Hotel Bossert Orchestra'.

The hotel drew some attention in November, 1945, when Charles Armijo Woodruff, the 11th Governor of American Samoa, committed suicide by hanging himself in his room there. [4] Just one month later, former Congressman Thomas F. Magner also died in the hotel. [5]

In the 1950s, the Bossert was the home of several Brooklyn Dodger players. [2] Following the Brooklyn Dodgers' win over the New York Yankees in the 1955 World Series, Dodgers fans gathered in the Bossert lobby and serenaded Dodgers' manager Walter Alston with "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow". [1]

Purchase by Watchtower and restoration

In 1983, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York began leasing space in the Bossert for use by Jehovah's Witnesses. The Society bought the hotel in 1988. It required extensive restoration according to the Landmarks Preservation Commission standards for the historic district. The famed Marine Roof had collapsed, and a new roof had to be built. Also, the lobby was in poor condition, and over 2,500 square feet (230 m2) of the marble had to be replaced. Watchtower went to the original quarry to replace it. [2] That effort garnered praise and awards. [6] [7]

In late January 2008, the Society announced it would sell the building. [1] The sale was conducted through a private-bidding process, which took nearly five years. [6] One local realtor (Arlene Waye of Awaye Realty) estimated that the building would sell for about $100 million. [2] Judi Stanton, the president of the Brooklyn Heights Association, remarked that “The Witnesses have done an exquisite job in maintaining the building." [6] Timothy King, a senior partner at Massey Knakal Realty Services Brooklyn, agreed calling the hotel "one of the most unique and most well-maintained trophy assets in Brooklyn." He continued, "The Watchtower organization is well known for impeccable maintenance standards and the Bossert reflects this level of care. It will be a challenge for a new owner to run the building with the same level of care and attention to detail." [2]

Late in 2012, the Bossert was sold for $81 million to David Bistricer of Clipper Equity and Joseph Chetrit of the Chetrit Group, who planned to turn it into a boutique hotel with around 300 rooms. [8] Multiple announced opening dates have come and gone since then. In May 2022, it was reported that the structure faced foreclosure, [9] after the Chetrit Group defaulted on a $112 million mortgage. In September 2022, it was reported that the vacant hotel had been foreclosed and would be auctioned. [10] In March 2023, it was reported that the scaffolding that had covered the hotel's lower facade for two and a half years, had been removed. It was also reported that hoteliers Ian Schrager and Ed Scheetz were seeking to partner with the Chetrit Group to reopen the hotel as part of their Public Hotels chain. [11]

Barbara Cooney was born in the hotel, which was built by her maternal grandfather. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jehovah's Witnesses</span> Restorationist Christian denomination

Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. As of 2022, the group reported a worldwide membership of approximately 8.5 million adherents involved in evangelism, with 19.7 million attending the annual Memorial of Christ's death. The denomination is directed by a group of elders in Warwick, New York, United States, known as the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, which establishes all doctrines based on its interpretations of the Bible. They believe that the destruction of the present world system at Armageddon is imminent, and the establishment of God's kingdom over earth is the only solution for all problems faced by humanity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corporations of Jehovah's Witnesses</span> List of corporations in use by Jehovahs Witnesses

A number of corporations are in use by Jehovah's Witnesses. They publish literature and perform other operational and administrative functions, representing the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooklyn Heights</span> Neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City

Brooklyn Heights is a residential neighborhood within the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Old Fulton Street near the Brooklyn Bridge on the north, Cadman Plaza West on the east, Atlantic Avenue on the south, and the Brooklyn–Queens Expressway or the East River on the west. Adjacent neighborhoods are Dumbo to the north, Downtown Brooklyn to the east, and Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Alden Adams</span> American religious leader (1925–2019)

Don Alden Adams was president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (2000–2014), the principal corporation of Jehovah's Witnesses.

The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society produces a significant amount of printed and electronic literature, primarily for use by Jehovah's Witnesses. Their best known publications are the magazines, The Watchtower and Awake!

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Grizzuti Harrison</span> American novelist

Barbara Grizzuti Harrison was an American journalist, essayist and memoirist. She is best known for her autobiographical work, particularly her account of growing up as a Jehovah's Witness, and for her travel writing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic Terminal (shopping mall)</span> Shopping mall in Brooklyn, New York

Atlantic Terminal and Atlantic Center are two shopping malls located on Atlantic Avenue surrounded by Hanson Place, Fort Greene Place and Flatbush Avenue in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, New York City, near Downtown Brooklyn. Atlantic Terminal is located across the street from the Atlantic Center Mall, connected via a small enclosed bridge from Target, and both are under the same management of Madison International Realty. On December 22, 2017, Atlantic Terminal and Atlantic Center was acquired by Madison International Realty from Forest City Realty Trust. The real estate private equity firm had previously acquired a 49% stake in the Forest City portfolio in 2011 and purchased the remaining 51% in 2017 to make Madison International Realty one of the largest retail landlords in New York. Atlantic Terminal is also an office building and part of the ticket office of the Long Island Rail Road's Atlantic Terminal. Parts of Atlantic Center Mall were also renovated to complement the new mall. The malls are both located directly across Atlantic Avenue from Barclays Center arena, in the neighborhood of Pacific Park, which is being developed by Forest City Ratner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania</span> Not-for-profit organization of Jehovahs Witnesses

The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania is a non-stock, not-for-profit organization headquartered in Warwick, New York. It is the main legal entity used worldwide by Jehovah's Witnesses to direct, administer and disseminate doctrines for the group and is often referred to by members of the denomination simply as "the Society". It is the parent organization of a number of Watch Tower subsidiaries, including the Watchtower Society of New York and International Bible Students Association. The number of voting shareholders of the corporation is limited to between 300 and 500 "mature, active and faithful" male Jehovah's Witnesses. About 5,800 Jehovah's Witnesses provide voluntary unpaid labour, as members of a religious order, in three large Watch Tower Society facilities in New York. Nearly 15,000 other members of the order work at the Watch Tower Society's other facilities worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas F. Magner</span> American politician

Thomas Francis Magner was an American lawyer and politician who served three terms as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1889 to 1895.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Hugh Macmillan</span> Canadian Jehovah Witness leader

Alexander Hugh Macmillan, also referred to as A. H. Macmillan, was an important member of the Bible Students, and later, of Jehovah’s Witnesses. He became a board member of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in 1918. He presented a history of the religious movement in his book Faith on the March, published in 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hotel Carter</span> Former hotel in Manhattan, New York

The Hotel Carter was a hotel at 250 West 43rd Street, near Times Square, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Opened in June 1930 as the Dixie Hotel, the 25-story structure originally extended from 43rd Street to 42nd Street, although the wing abutting 42nd Street has since been demolished. The hotel originally contained a bus terminal at its ground level, which was closed in 1957, as well as a bar and restaurant immediately above it. The upper stories originally contained 1,000 rooms but were later downsized to 700 rooms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hotel Margaret</span> Hotel in Brooklyn, New York, US

The Hotel Margaret was a building in Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, New York. Designed by Frank Freeman and completed in 1889, the hotel was the locality's first skyscraper and for many years remained its tallest building. It was destroyed by a 1980 fire that started when a person who was using taping compound left a heater on and forgot to turn it off during renovations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milton George Henschel</span> American Jehovahs Witness leader

Milton George Henschel was a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses and succeeded Frederick W. Franz as president of the Watch Tower Society in 1992.

Joseph Chetrit is an American real estate investor and developer and founder of the Chetrit Group.

David Bistricer is a New York-based real estate developer and the founder and principal of Clipper Equity. His firm focuses on the conversion of non-residential buildings to residential uses. One of Bistricer's latest ventures, in partnership with Chetrit Group, is the transformation of the shuttered four-building Cabrini Medical Center at 220 and 230 East 20th Street and 215 and 225 East 19th Street into a residential a condo project, Gramercy Square, with 223 units. The Woods Bagot-designed development features a different style for each property: a modern, a prewar, a boutique and a tower building. It also has about 38,000 square feet of amenities including a 75' sky-lit pool, a gym, a theater, a meditation room exclusively programmed by MNDFL and a wine cellar. And there's ample green space with a courtyard, a greenhouse and landscaping around the buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Brooklyn Tower</span> Skyscraper in Brooklyn, New York

The Brooklyn Tower is a supertall mixed-use, primarily residential skyscraper in the Downtown Brooklyn neighborhood of New York City. Developed by JDS Development Group, it is situated on the north side of DeKalb Avenue near Flatbush Avenue. The main portion of the skyscraper is a 93-story, 1,073-foot (327 m) residential structure designed by SHoP Architects. Preserved at the skyscraper's base is the Dime Savings Bank Building, designed by Mowbray and Uffinger, which dates to the 1900s.

CIM Group invests in commercial property on behalf of large institutions such as pensions. As of December 31, 2020, the company owned $29.2 billion worth of commercial property.

Isaac Hager is an American real estate developer who founded the New York City-based Cornell Realty Management.

WPOW was a radio station in New York City that broadcast between 1924 and 1984, on 1330 kHz for most of its existence. It was last owned by WPOW, Inc. The station was closed down to allow its shared-time partner, WNYM, to broadcast 24 hours a day on 1330 kHz.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Ramirez, Anthony, (January 30, 2008), "'Hotel Where Dodgers Celebrated a Title Is Up for Sale". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-30
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Collins, Linda (2008-01-29). "Brooklyn's Fabled Hotel Bossert on Market; Watchtower Seeking Bids". Broolyn Daily Eagle. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  3. Building: An Architectural Monthly, Volume 42. December 1, 1909. p. 106. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  4. "Ship Captain Ends Life: Despondent, He Hangs Himself in Room in a Brooklyn Hotel". The New York Times . New York City. The New York Times Company. 24 November 1945. p. 21.
  5. "Thomas F. Magner, 85, Ex-Congressman, Dies". The New York Times . New York City. The New York Times Company. 23 December 1945. p. 17.
  6. 1 2 3 Buiso, Gary (2008-02-01), "Jehovah’s Witnesses to sell Bossert Hotel" Brooklyn Heights Courier. Retrieved on 2008-02-05
  7. Checkout Time at the Bossert Hotel Jw.org
  8. Rosenblum, Constance (2012-10-19). "Luxury Brooklyn Condos, Some Cloaked in Tradition". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-11-10.
  9. "Brooklyn's Iconic Bossert Hotel on Verge of Foreclosure". The Real Deal. 8 May 2022.
  10. Geberer, Raanan (13 September 2022). "Bossert Hotel heads to auction". Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
  11. https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2023/03/12/a-new-and-brighter-day-may-be-dawning-for-brooklyns-hotel-bossert/
  12. Lipson, Eden (15 March 2000). "Barbara Cooney, 83, Children's Book Creator". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 October 2016.