By Olivia Scheck
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — The developers behind the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque” began paying off more than $200,000 in overdue taxes owed on the building, according to reports.
When it was first reported that the group had failed to pay $224,270 in taxes for the project, which is expected to cost $100 million, some took it as a sign that the developers were in dire financial straits.
But Soho Properties, which controls the site, said in a statement Friday that they had been in negotiations with the government over exactly how much they owed, and that this was the reason for their lateness, the Wall Street Journal reported.
“We were involved in the legal process by which a property owner can challenge the real estate assessment on a given piece of property in an attempt to reduce the property’s assessment and real estate taxes,” the statement said, according to the Journal.
“The city had recently responded to our request with a reduction. This week we completed our negotiations with the city and the matter has been resolved.”
Sharif El-Gamal, the company’s CEO who personally delivered the check, chose to pay in quarterly installments of $35,449.17, the New York Times said.
It was also reported this week that Gamal’s Soho Properties is being sued by their office landlord over $39,000 in overdue rent. It was the second time such a lawsuit had been filed, according to the report.
