BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — The Hotel Bossert, vacant in Brooklyn Heights for more than a decade, will return as the Ritz-Carlton Residences,a 61-unit condominium and the Ritz-Carlton brand's first residential project in the borough.
The 14-story landmark at 98 Montague St. opened in 1909 and became one of Brooklyn's best-known hotels.
Designed by New York architecture firm Helmle & Huberty, the Renaissance Revival building earned the nickname "Waldorf-Astoria of Brooklyn" and hosted celebrities, business leaders and the Brooklyn Dodgers' 1955 World Series celebration.
The building's preservation received a key approval from the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, which unanimously approved revised plans for rooftop additions and other exterior work.
The work will preserve the building's geometric brick facade, granite-and-limestone base, terra-cotta cornice, arched windows, cast-iron railings and lion-head keystones.
The Jehovah's Witnesses bought the Bossert in 1988 and used the building until 2012, when they sold it during their broader departure from Brooklyn Heights.
Several efforts to return the property to hotel use followed, but redevelopment plans stalled and the building remained vacant.
SomeraRoad, a New York- and Nashville-based development firm founded by Brooklyn Heights resident Ian Ross, acquired the property for $100 million in 2025.
The firm is partnering with Marriott International to convert the former hotel into condominiums.
The current public plans call for 61 residences, primarily with three or four bedrooms.
The residences will include a 24-hour-attended lobby, residential services and amenities focused on wellness, leisure and entertaining.
Homeowners will also have access to Marriott's Residence Owner Recognition Program, known as ONVIA.
The project's square footage, pricing and interior design team have not been announced.
The project will include a new restaurant from Union Square Hospitality Group, the company founded by restaurateur Danny Meyer.
The roughly 3,200-square-foot restaurant will be the group's first full-service location in Brooklyn.
Construction is expected to begin later this year, with completion planned for 2029.
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