
Developers of the Park51 center have said they are open to dialogue with Governor Paterson to discuss alternate location options for the mosque.
Earlier this week, Paterson held a press conference requesting an open discussion, “I think it’s rather clear that building a center there meets all the requirements, but it does seem to ignite an immense amount of anxiety among the citizen of New York and people everywhere, and I think not without cause.â€
The effort is to ease the tension and nationwide scrutiny the Park51 development has caused. A CNN poll suggested that nearly 70% of all Americans across political and age lines were opposed to what has been dubbed the “Ground Zero Mosque.”
Although developer Shari El-Gamal is open to options, they have been focused in opening their Park51 center in Lower Manhattan, according to a report in today’s New York Daily News.
Paterson had suggested offering state-owned land for the project. Battery Park City is a state owned land in Lower Manhattan, as is Governor’s Island.