EventDuring the September 11th terrorist attacks, the Burlington Coat Factory buildings located at 45-51 Park Place (two blocks from the WTC) were struck by one of the planes’ landing gear assemblies (Blumenthal and Mowjood, 2009). Following the attacks, the buildings were condemned and sat empty for eight years (Blumenthal and Mowjood, 2009). The building was revived as a center of Islamic prayer. The center's Imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf, stated that the purpose of establishing the center in that location was because it "sends the opposite statement to what happened on 9/11” (Blumenthal and Mowjood, 2009). Imam Rauf's plan for the space was to build a $150 million Muslim community center similar to the Manhattan Jewish Community Center located nearby (Blumenthal and Mowjood, 2009). The proposal, named Park51, included a mosque, a 500-seat auditorium, and a pool (Schlesinger, 2010). The proposal was submitted to the Manhattan Community Board 1 and reviewed in May of 2010 (Hernández, 2010). At that time, national attention was drawn to the project.
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BacklashThe proposal was met with national controversy. The "Stop Islamization of America" group launched a campaign in opposition to the project (Freedlandeer, 2010). As a result, massive protests ensued at both the site in question and the Manhattan Community Board 1 meeting (Sanchez, 2010). Opponents labeled the project "an insult" and "demeaning’ (Sanchez, 2010) Furthermore, they saw the building as "a shrine to the very ideology that inspired the attacks on 9/11” (Sanchez, 2010). Some protestors even went as far as to call the building a "house of evil [that] will be the birthplace of the next terrorist event” (Sanchez, 2010). Additionally, national political leaders got involved in the dialogue. Rudy Giuliani, the Mayor of NYC during 9/11, called the proposal a "desecration" of ground zero (Giuliani, 2010). Republican commentator and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich, labeled it an "assertion of Islamic triumphalism” (Giuliani, 2010). Sarah Palin, former Governor of Alaska and 2008 Vice Presidential Candidate, called it a "stab...in the heart” (Giuliani, 2010). Unfounded claims were made by some politicians in opposition that the project was being funded by foreign governments and terrorist groups (Hernández, 2010). Several 9/11 survivors and victim families spoke out against the mosque stating that it was insensitive considering the proximity to ground zero (Hernández, 2010).
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ResponseThe leaders of the facility’s development combatted the opposition by further elaborating on the project’s intent to promote better relationships between Americans and Islam (Sanchez, 2010). Furthermore, they discussed the fact that Muslims have also been killed by Islamic extremists all around the globe and that this project will serve as a reminder of that reality and the dedication of Muslims to help rebuild Lower Manhattan following 9/11 (Sanchez, 2010). The leaders of the project continued to push it forward. Some politicians expressed support including then-President Barack Obama. Notably, Obama only stated that they had the right to build a mosque there, he later clarified that he was in no way endorsing the decision (Gilgoff, 2010). Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that the location was a “very appropriate place” for a mosque (Hernández, 2010). Republican Congressman Ron Paul and Senator Orrin Hatch defended the mosque construction stating that their fellow conservatives had failed to uphold their commitment to defending the First Amendment (Paul, 2010; Wangsness, 2010). Some 9/11 survivors and victim families spoke out in support of the project saying that the project was a step towards healing (Hernández, 2010).
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OutcomeWhile a multitude of protestors and national politicians were opposed to the project, the Manhattan Community Board 1 was mostly supportive. The board voted in favor of the project with 21 in favor, 1 opposed, and 10 abstentions (Sanchez, 2010). The project was also approved by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (Hernández, 2010). In 2011, a renovated portion of the Burlington Coat Factory was opened to the public as a community and prayer space (Zraick and Dobnik, 2011). In 2015, plans were announced to tear down the two buildings and replace them with a three-story Islamic cultural center with a dedicated prayer space (located at 51 Park Place) and a 70-story high-end condominium building (located at 45 Park Place) (Solomont, 2015). Demolition and construction on the condominium building began in 2016 with an estimated completion date in 2018 (Stribling, 2016). In 2017, the plans for the Islamic cultural center at 51 Park Place were revised (Fedak, 2017). Today, the construction at 45 Park Place is halted due to a major developer-lender dispute and contractor-initiated bankruptcy proceedings (Hudson, 2021). No construction on the Islamic cultural center at 45 Park Place has begun (Hudson, 2021). The fate of the project is unknown. However, it is likely that the national coverage of the project played a significant role in the planning and construction delay that contributed to the project being significantly over budget.
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