Ground Zero Mosque Doomed for Back Rent

Sorry, I can't write, I can't stop laughing my ass off!!!!
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The Patriot Post
Digest · October 21, 2011
Around the Nation: Back Rent for Ground Zero Mosque

Con Edison keeps the lights of New York City shining, but now the utility giant may also accomplish what millions of angry Americans could not: prevent the Ground Zero mosque from opening. This won't be accomplished as the mosque's power supply company, however, but as its landlord.

The dispute concerns the piece of prime Manhattan real estate on which the mosque is to be built. The developer, Park 51, owns a five-story building on the eastern side of the property, while Con Ed owns a former substation on the western side. Park 51 had eventually planned to purchase the Con Ed building, knock down both structures, and construct its $100 million, 15-story "community center." In the meantime, Park 51 had a lease under which rent was $2,750 a month; this rate was set in 1972 and is unheard of in present day New York. Now Con Edison has raised the rent to a whopping $47,437 a month, retroactive to July 31, 2008. When Park 51 refused to pay the $1.7 million in back rent, Con Ed threatened to terminate the lease and evict. This would effectively kill the plans for the controversial project.

Park 51's lead developer, Sharif El-Gamal, has speculated that the utility company is caving in to "political pressure"; this is an interesting statement, considering that both Barack Obama and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg publicly support the project. A hearing is set for Nov. 17, and until then a court enjoined Con Ed from terminating the lease.

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