Approaching the end of the Ground Zero Mosque

In a good way, that is. The developer, Sharif El-Gamal owes over one million in back rent to Con-Ed, not as if he has never owed anybody anything, and Con-Ed now wants him and his group out. If that happens, there will be little chance the GZ mosque will be built at that site. As long as El-Gamal is incapable of actually purchasing the building, the mosque will stay a distant memory.

From the New York Post October 16 by Isabel Vincent and Melissa Klein

Con Ed says it will evict Ground Zero mosque unless developer pays $1.7 million in back rent

Pay up or get out.

Con Ed has given the Ground Zero mosque an ultimatum: Pay the $1.7 million you owe in back rent, or we’ll terminate your lease and take back our property.

Con Ed and mosque developer Park51 have an unusual, uneasy alliance, sharing ownership of a site slated to be one of the most controversial projects in city history.

The utility owns a former substation on the western half of the property, at 51 Park Place, and the mosque developers own a five-story building on the eastern half. The buildings were connected years ago and used to house a Burlington Coat Factory store.

Park51, which leases the substation from Con Ed, wants the two buildings so it can knock both down and build a $100 million, 15-story community center.

But the plan hit a major obstacle in August when Con Ed raised the rent from $2,750 a month, a rate set in 1972, to $47,437 a month, retroactive to July 31, 2008, The Post has learned.

GROUND ZERO MOSQUE DOESN'T HAVE A PAYER

When the mosque failed to fork over the $1.7 million, the utility fired off a letter demanding the money by Oct. 4 and threatening to evict.

Park51 principals responded with a lawsuit to stop the increase, calling Con Ed’s rent demands “outrageous.”

“Whether it is bowing to political pressure or seeking to retain the valuable premises for itself, Con Ed appears intent on proceeding with its wrongful termination,” argued Sharif El-Gamal, the lead Park51 developer.

Gamal said Con Ed’s move also wipes out his ability to eventually buy the substation building, where the Park51 developers have converted the first floor into a prayer space. They turned the first floor of the adjoining building into a cultural center and recently debuted their first event, a photography exhibit.

The modest space is in sharp contrast to the expansive plans unveiled last year that generated worldwide controversy for their proximity to Ground Zero.

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