Summer Has Come And Gone: Hotel Bossert Yet to Re-Open

By on August 29, 2015 11:40 pm in Architecture, Brooklyn Heights, Development, Real Estate, Tourism, Watchtower

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle’s “Eye on Real Estate” has been following the progress of The Hotel Bossert gut-renovation.  The project underway is to include 279 guest rooms and a rooftop restaurant.  Back in March they reported the “Waldorf-Astoria of Brooklyn” re-opening had been pushed back to this summer.  Yet, here we are one week away from Labor day and the remodeling of the former Jehovah’s Witnesses property seems no closer to completion.  A follow up post from August 26th reports inquiries by the Eagle vetted this response from co-owner David Bistricer, “We are moving full blast.”

Construction Permits

Construction Permits

While the hotel has widely been described as a harbinger of increased retail and restaurant revenues, Curbed recently reported on a “glut” of hotels being built in Brooklyn.  The July 24th article sites a new report from Bloomberg Business, “there are 32 hotel properties planned or under construction in Brooklyn, but according to analyst David Loeb of Robert W. Baird & Co., developers are facing declining occupancies there as room costs decrease in Manhattan.”   As of March of this year, Bossert co-owners Bistricer and developer Joseph Chetrit had not named a hotel operator.

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  • Jorale-man

    Not to be pedantic but we actually have 22 more days of summer. Let’s not short-change ourselves! But something does seem fishy here about the hotel delay. Maybe it’s built by the same firm that did the bouncy bridge.

  • Willow Street Watch

    Well, there are three real questions:

    First, WHO are they marketing to? Are they marketing to a business, professional or cultural audience or is this going to be some kind of tourist or open recreational facility? This should be a BIG concern….

    Second, this is just one more promoter deciding that an increase in population and traffic equals $$$$$$. Of course, all of this is done with NO increase in any “little” things like police, fire, ems or any public safety facility.

    Third: when are the sheeple going to require that increased/upgraded facilities are put in place BEFORE any development or population/use of an area?

    Don’t think any of this is a serious concern? Really? Well I suggest anyone simply stand at the south west corner of 29th Street and Park Avenue South about 11:00 PM any Friday/Saturday night. Then think what that scene transfered to Montague would be like here…..

  • Resident

    Get a grip. Oy. This is the last time I ever open. The comments page on this blog… See ya.

  • Willow Street Watch

    Avoidance of reality IS a psychopathology. A condition which very sadly has spread to a wide sector of Heights residents. As at our nation’s founding, the price of liberty (and safety) is clear eyed vigilance.

  • Banet

    One small point — I’m not sure it’s really an increase in population. Remember, this building was full for the last few decades. It’s just been empty for the last few years.

  • Willow Street Watch

    That is strictly speaking is true. But the NATURE of who were in the building is the key here. The building was in the 60’s and 70’s occupied by an assortment of really low key loners and elderly. After that it was occupied by very well disciplined GW followers. Both groups may not be considered the most attractive by many, but they did not represent a disruption or danger to the Heights (like the darlings in the St George at the time)

    And again, any new increased use of the area should FIRST involve/ require new MUCH increased prime elements of the public safety net.

  • R.O.Shipman

    It doesn’t matter who lived there in the 60’s or 70’s or who was in the St. George. What matters is who was there just a few years ago when it was purchased.

    Do you really think that the use of the Bossert as a hotel is all that different from the use by the JW who used it primarily as a hotel? Surely this site doesn’t require additional “things like police, fire, ems or any public safety facility.”

    About the only complaint about development’s affect on public facilities that has any merit is the schools (and even then, it’s more a matter of redistributing students/resources and making all area schools better). We have more than enough fire-protection resources, its why the city periodically tries to close firehouses over union objections. Brooklyn Heights is remarkably safe for a big city neighborhood. And the hospital closing, while unfortunate, is more a reflection of the state of the hospital industry (and the neighborhoods penchant for visiting Manhattan hospitals) than it says about development, even acknowledging the fact that LICH is being redeveloped.

    Such arguments about missing resources aren’t based in reality.

  • outasight
  • Willow Street Watch

    Hey, when some maniac drove onto the promenade on Aug 7th at like 65 mph people were calling for a hour and a half AND NOBODY RESPONDED!!! So someone thinks that increased use of an area with no increase (or a lessening) of police fire and ems isn’t any big deal?

    Yeah, right guy…..

    And again, the question of just which kinds of clientele the management is aiming for at the new Bossert remains an open, very big, question…just visit 29th Street and Park Ave South guys…want that here?

  • R.O.Shipman

    You sight one story, I’ll stick to things like crime statistics that New York is at the very top of the safest big cities in the U.S. lists, and much of the crime that does exist is far away from Brooklyn Heights.

    Even if the City were to add police officers, they likely wouldn’t be targeting Brooklyn Heights, and it won’t matter how many buildings are or are not built in the neighborhood.

  • R.O.Shipman

    Again, one anecdote. Hardly the basis for a world view that says we must have more police as a prerequisite to any form of development, let alone a building that is pretty much going to be the same as it was before.

    What in the world is your problem with 29th and park?

  • AEB

    Yikes! With any luck, the use of the Bossert as a “high-end” hotel will bring some much needed cosmopolitanism to the suburban stretch that is Montague.

    One always thinks the street can’t get any more mall-like–but it always does.

  • ShinyNewHandle

    Stop driving the readership away!

  • Willow Street Watch

    If you had ANY knowledge of the last few years in Midtown you’d know not what my problem is but hundreds of residents surrounding that hotel problems were. Hotels can be severe sources of disruption and a new burden on neighborhood facilities.

    Of course, pro development no matter what types consider the questioning of ANY developer as a kind of not PC activity.

  • Willow Street Watch

    Brooklyn Heights has a HIGHLY documented history as a classic victim community. Just because some new to the scene Yups or casino types want to distract and deny, the record is clear. Historically, we have been surrounded by some of the worst drugs and violent crime in America. And the abuse is ALWAYS incoming! I know this is going to set a lot of PC Trols off but, its well to remember that there are no Heights guys in three piece suits going into surrounding neighborhoods doing hundreds of class A felonies every year. The record is clear: We are a classic victim community.

    THAT’S why people are sensitive to possible sources of problems/
    DangerDanger….

  • Willow Street Watch

    Well, look at the volume of traffic since I first posted. Er, a spark plug can’t accurately be described as a wet blanked or discouraging. system activity.

  • Reggie

    So glad to read, WSW, that you believe, “Avoidance of reality IS a psychopathology.” Might I suggest that you take a look in the mirror? The reality is, police, fire, and other public safety resources are fungible and their personnel assignments and response strategies are evaluated and revised on an ongoing basis.