Mosque Near Ground Zero at Risk of Being Evicted

By Jeff Schapiro, Christian Post Reporter Monday, October 17, 2011

The mosque near Ground Zero in New York City is stirring up headlines once again. A public utility, which owns half of the property used by the mosque, says the mosque's developers owe $1.7 million in back rent and is threatening to evict them if they don't pay.

Court documents from a lawsuit filed by Park51, the mosque's developers, show they are seeking to prevent the Consolidated Edison Company of New York (Con Ed) from upping the cost of their monthly rent by what they say is an exorbitant amount.

Con Ed owns a former substation on the western half of the property at 51 Park Place in New York. Park51 owns a five-story building on the eastern half. The mosque's developer leases the substation from Con Ed, and had planned to exercise its option to buy the substation, knock both buildings down, and construct a $100 million community center on the property, the New York Post reports.

In August, the utility informed its tenant it was raising the rent on the substation from $2,750 per month to $47,437 per month, and said Park51 owed back rent from as far back as July 31, 2008. The former rental rate was established in 1972, and a price increase was due after both sides agreed to a new appraisal of the building's value. Court documents say the Con Ed building is now worth $10.7 million.

But Park51 officials are saying Con Ed miscalculated, and their organization should only have to pay about half of what the utility is asking for in back rent ($881,519) and in monthly payments ($25,875).

According to court documents, Con Ed threatened to terminate the lease as early as Oct. 4 and gave the organization only 20 days to pay the money owed. As a result, Park51 has obtained a temporary restraining order to prevent the utility from terminating the lease until it is determined how much they actually owe and whether or not the utility can legally terminate the lease in this manner.

“Whether it is bowing to political pressure or seeking to retain the valuable premises for itself, Con Ed appears intent upon proceeding with its wrongful termination (and cancellation of Plaintiff's right to purchase the Premises) and it has expressly threatened to do so,” Park51's lead developer, Sharif El-Gamal, says in one court document.

The developer has already created a prayer space on the first floor of the leased building, and Gamal will have to get permission from the utility before performing any kind of demolition if the organization is unable to purchase it.

“Con Edison remains hopeful that it can reach an agreement with the tenant that is in the best interests of all parties,” the utility said in an email statement to The Christian Post on Monday.

A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 17.

According to the organization's website, the Park51 Community Center is “inspired by Islamic values and Muslim heritage.” The organization has gained international attention for choosing a location only two blocks away from Ground Zero as the site for the center's development.