NEW YORK – The developer who once proposed a mosque and Muslim community center near ground zero now plans a museum devoted to Islam at the same site.
The New York Times reports that Sharif El-Gamal said through a spokesman that he wants to build a three-story museum “dedicated to exploring the faith of Islam and its arts and culture.” The statement says he commissioned French architect Jean Nouvel to design a 5,000-square-foot museum. The building also would include a sanctuary for prayer services and community programs.
It’s unclear how El-Gamal would fund the project. Spokesman Hank Sheinkopf said El-Gamal would initially finance it himself and hoped to find other benefactors.
No timetable was given. Buildings at 45 Park Place and 51 Park Place, two blocks from the World Trade Center site, would need to be demolished first.
