The World Trade Center site's owner has offered $20 million to acquire the 1,200-square-foot lot of a church destroyed on Sept. 11, freeing one more piece of land needed to rebuild every inch of ground zero.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's board was to consider a complicated land deal with the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at a board meeting Thursday. The leaders of the 300-member congregation have been negotiating with the Port Authority for years over a price for the site where the church stood before the trade center's south tower collapsed onto it on Sept. 11, 2001.
The church agreed to rebuild on a smaller lot a few blocks east.
The stalled negotiations for the church land were listed among more than a dozen obstacles to rebuilding the trade center site in a June 30 report written by the Port Authority's executive director, Christopher Ward.
Builders needed the old church land to begin work on a southern foundation wall for the site; the agency was expected to hire a contractor for that job on Thursday.
Under the agreement, the Port Authority would pay $10 million and the other $10 million would come from JPMorgan Chase & Co., which made a tentative deal last year to build one of five office towers planned to replace the trade center.
The Port Authority would have to pay the $20 million if JPMorgan opted out.
Ward said in June that all projects at ground zero are over budget and behind schedule, and he said he would have new estimates in September.
Plans for five office towers, a memorial, a transit hub and a performing arts center were announced five years ago. None will be built by the 10th anniversary of the attacks, Ward has said.
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Agreed! One of the major things about being in a Saddleback type church is the level (or lack) of maturity in giving and caring for the less fortunate. So many have been trapped by the American lie. The American dream is to OWN the big house, nice car and such. The American lie is to OWE the bank up to your eye balls for all that stuff and have nothing left for the needy.
Daniel Paul: I am in absolute agreement with you. In the Parable of the Talents, the good and faithful servant took what his master gave him and made a fantastic profit.
I am merely suggesting that the best use for that profit may not be to spend it all on a new building. After all, God no longer lives in the Tabernacle.
Now, now...it's prime property. $20 mil may just be market value. Also, do the math. Just how long will it take to earn $20 mil in rent from the building they are going to put there.
God does call us to be good stewards, even if it means making a profit!
I pray God use it for His glory and to bring many people to faith in Christ, using various avenues - feeding the hungry, helping people start self-sustaining small businesses, building fresh water systems where needed, supporting church planting efforts, evangelistic efforts, discipling efforts, medical treatment efforts, community health efforts, etc.
Twenty million dollars? For a church? $66,666.67 per member?
People, please. Feed the poor with that money.