By -Gary Buiso
A majestic Brooklyn Heights hotel that once played host to the Brooklyn Dodgers’ only World Series victory celebration is up for sale. The owners of the Bossert Hotel, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York—the business arm of the Jehovah’s Witnesses—announced the sale this week. Once known as the borough’s version of the Waldorf Astoria, the Hotel Bossert, located at the corner of Montague and Hicks Streets, was purchased by the Jehovah’s Witnesses religious sect in 1988. Since then, the majority of the 224 rooms have been occupied by the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Six of the 14-story building’s units are rented to rent-stabilized tenants, who are expected to remain there even after the sale, Richard Devine, Watchtower’s property manager said, according to reports. The Italian Renaissance Revival hotel was constructed in 1909 by Louis Bossert, who made his fortune in the lumber business. When the Jehovah’s Witnesses took control of the property, it required extensive repairs, which the society performed, earning accolades from local observers. “The Witnesses have done an exquisite job in maintaining the building,” said Judi Stanton, the president of the Brooklyn Heights Association. “We are hoping that when the builidng changes hands, [the new owners] will assume the responsibility as stewards of a very grand building,” she said. There has been no asking price attached to the property, but a private bidding process that could span several months is expected.
