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Mosque Near Ground Zero Reportedly Exploring Other Uses

By DNAinfo Staff on October 20, 2011 12:25pm

A rendering of the $100 million center on Park Place.
A rendering of the $100 million center on Park Place.
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SOMA Architects

MANHATTAN — The Islamic community center that set off a firestorm of controversy last year for its proximity to Ground Zero could take on a different shape than originally planned, the developer told the Wall Street Journal.

Sharif El-Gamal, the lead developer behind the "Park51" project, revealed in an interview that financial constraints had forced him to consider new, possibly commercial uses for the Park Place property, which was once intended to house a mosque and community center similar to the YMCA, according to the Journal.

"We have 20,000 square feet, at a minimum, that's going to be given to the community," El-Gamal told the paper. "It depends on how much money we raise."

A previous design for the space, which included plans for a fitness center, restaurant and auditorium, was projected to cost $100 million.

But El-Gamal told the Journal that fundraising had been stymied by last summer's controversy.

"One thing that I will say is that everybody is endorsing this project but people are afraid to actually … put money into the project because of the controversy," he said, according to the paper.

Park51, which celebrated a partial opening in September, is currently in a rent dispute with Consolidated Edison, which owns part of the property and has accused developers of owing nearly $2 million in back payments.