The controversial developer behind the “G💧round Zero mosque” has a new plan for the Park Place site: a museum devoted to Islam.
Developer Sharif El-Gamal announced his plan Tuesday to build a three-story museum “dedicated to exploring the𒅌 faith of Islam and its arts and culture” at 41-51 Park Place, a few blocks from the World Trade Center site, the New York Times reported.
The museum wi🦄ll also include a sanctuary for pra🐲yer and community programs, El-Gamal spokesman Hank Sheinkopf told the .
“New York’s arts and cultural institutions have always beeꦿn a great inspiration to me and I consider this opportunity to create a museum to be a true privilege,” El-Gamal said in a statement.
While El-Gamal’s original plans for a 15-story, $100 million mosque and community center in 2010 were much more ambitious in scope, his new project will be🍎 around 5,000 square feet and include a public green space. Award-winning French architect Jean Nouvel will design the building, according to the statement.
“This is a more tailored approach, both physically and programmatically,” said Sheinkopf. “It w✱ill prove to be an important addition to the neighborhood and to New York City’s arts and♋ cultural community.”
El-Gamal’s proposed “Ground 𝓡Zero mosque” opened in 2011 after critics, including family members of 9/11 victims, expressed outrage over the proximity of the mosque to the Ground Zero site.
But the planned community centerꦿ failed to take off in the way that El-Gamal hoped and has mostly been used for prayer services instead of community events. The developer filed plans to demolish the five-story bu💮ilding this month.
Sheinkopf doesn’t expect the museum will rankle critics asꦦ the mosque did, but some have already spoken out against it.
“The structure as you describe it w🌱ould be as grotesque as a three-story museum dedicated to exploring the faith of Shintoism and emperor-worship, and its arts and culture, with a sanctuary for prayer services and community programs, at Pearl Harbor,” Robert Spencer, who runs the blog Jihad Watch, told the Ne🍬w York Times.
El-Gamal said he intends to use his own funds to open the museum but has yet to secure long-term 𓄧financial support for the project.