Behind Sharif El-Gamal’s new Park Place plan

With the “Ground Zero mosque” debate faded, the developer has quietly made a soaring condo the center of his plan. But now there are new hurdles in his way.

Sharif El-Gamal (Credit: Williams New York)
Sharif El-Gamal (Credit: Williams New York)

From the August issue: In 2010, developer Sharif El-Gamal sparked a national firestorm when he announced plans to build Park51, a 15-story Islamic cultural center at 51 Park Place. His critics famously (or infamously) dubbed the project the “Ground Zero mosque” because of its close proximity to the site of the September 11 attacks, and El-Gamal became a bulls-eye for anti-Muslim backlash. [more]

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