[Haiku Guy]

They will not move this project. It doesn’t make any sense to do your Endzone Dance in the Parking Lot.

[wideawake]

There are two different interests behind the mosque. There are the property owners who bought the building speculatively several years ago in the hope that they could develop it into high-end residential property.

They hoped their initial investment would be repaid with a profit as soon as a large property management company agreed to a joint venture financing. That never happened.

They were underwater on an unprofitable building for years. Then someone realized that if NYC real estate financiers were unwilling to throw away cash, wealthy sheiks might be if the project were near to their hearts. Enter firebrand imam al-Rauf to market the new strategy of a mosque.

I'm sure the property owners would be happy if the state of NY wrote them a check to buy out their property and relocate. Rauf will not be, since he's the one whose primary motive is to give the dead the middle finger.