The original design was by SOMA Architects principal Michel Abboud, who wrestled for months with the challenge of making the building fit naturally into its lower Manhattan surroundings.

[14] The project's organizers stated that it was intended to be "a platform for multi-faith dialogue, striving to promote inter-community peace, tolerance and understanding; locally in New York City, nationally in America, and globally.

Numerous other protests, which have reached millions of Americans, were sparked by a campaign launched by conservative[22] bloggers Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, founders of the group, Stop Islamization of America, who dubbed the project the "Ground Zero mosque",[14][23] and a national controversy ensued.

[57][58][59] The 45–47 Park Place building, located about two blocks (600 feet or 180 meters) north of the World Trade Center site,[52][53][54] was owned by Stephen Pomerantz and his wife Kukiko Mitani and leased to the Burlington Coat Factory.

[53] For several months thereafter, the building was used as an overflow prayer space for up to 450 Muslims, with services led by Feisal Abdul Rauf, an Imam based at the al-Farah mosque in nearby TriBeCa.

[60][61][62] Soho Properties' Chairman and CEO, Sharif El-Gamal, initially planned to build a condominium complex at the site, but was convinced by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf's idea for a community center with a prayer space.

[71][72] The specific location of the planned facility, "where a piece of the wreckage fell", so close to the World Trade Center, was a primary selling point for the Muslims who bought the building.

The board's chairwoman, Julie Menin, supported deletion of references to the building as a mosque and interfaith center that were in an earlier draft of the resolution, saying: "I personally was uncomfortable with the language that talked about the religious institution.

[95][96][97][98] On July 10, 2011, Justice Paul G. Feinman of the New York State Supreme Court dismissed Brown's case, writing that the firefighter was "an individual with a strong interest in preservation of the building", but added that he lacked any special legal standing regarding its fate.

Adam Leitman Bailey, the lawyer who represented the Islamic center's developer pro bono, called the decision "a victory for America" and said, "Despite the tempest of religious hatred, the judge flexed our Constitution's muscles enforcing the very bedrock of our democracy."

[100] In August 2011, The New York Times reported that Sharif El-Gamal, the project's developer, was quietly proceeding with efforts to move Park51 forward, embracing a "slower, more deliberate and more realistic approach" than before.

[124][125] They furthered argued that two positive opportunities exist with the project proceeding and coming to fruition: one, for Muslims can demonstrate peaceful Islamic values; and two, for Americans to reassert their commitment to tolerance and diversity.

[70][130] Prominent opponents and supporters of the project were found among the families of the 9/11 victims, the American and worldwide Muslim communities,[5][131][132][133] and local and national politicians,[94][134] making it a divisive political campaign issue in the 2010 midterm elections.

[65][147] Some U.S. politicians such as Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, an Independent Democrat, and Republicans Peter King and Rick Lazio, asked for an investigation of the group's finances, especially its foreign funding, despite the fact that fundraising for the project had not yet begun.

"[152] Vogel and Russonello cite claims that donations "totaling $900,000, that the government of Qatar and a foundation run by Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal have made to nonprofits or projects headed by Feisal Abdul Rauf" are involved.

[161][162] Furthermore, according to an August 10–11 Fox News poll, 64% of Americans (a majority of each of Democrats (56–38%), Republicans (76–17%), and Independents (53–41%)) thought it would be wrong to build a mosque and Islamic cultural center so close to Ground Zero, and 30% felt it would be appropriate.

[87] Debra Burlingame, a co-founder of the group whose brother died in the attacks, said: This is a place which is 600 feet [180 m] from where almost 3,000 people were torn to pieces by Islamic extremists ... it is incredibly insensitive and audacious ... for them to build a mosque ... so that they could be in proximity to where that atrocity happened ...

[61]Sally Regenhard, whose son was a firefighter who was killed in the attacks, and who has testified before Congress on 9/11, said that the center would be "sacrilege on sacred ground", and that "People are being accused of being anti-Muslim and racist, but this is simply a matter of sensitivity.

[181] C. Lee Hanson, whose son, daughter-in-law, and baby granddaughter were killed, felt that building a tribute to Islam so close to the World Trade Center site would be insensitive: "The pain never goes away.

"[190] Authors Raheel Raza and Tarek Fatah, board members of the Muslim Canadian Congress, said: New York currently boasts at least 30 mosques so it's not as if there is pressing need to find space for worshipers.

Arizona Senator John McCain, the Republicans' 2008 presidential nominee, said that it "would harm relations, rather than help",[196][197] while his running mate Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor, wrote on Twitter that "Ground Zero Mosque supporters: doesn't it stab you in the heart, as it does ours throughout the heartland?

He said that the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, the only religious structure destroyed in the 9/11 attacks, should be rebuilt before moving forward on building an Islamic center in the area, and called for an investigation into the project's financing.

[226] Democratic Representative Michael E. McMahon of New York's 13 District provided a written statement: We have seen very clearly in the past weeks that building a mosque two blocks from ground zero will not promote necessary interfaith dialogue, but will continue to fracture the faiths and citizens of our city and this country.

"[182] Marvin Bethea, a former EMS worker who was forced to retire in 2004 because of breathing problems caused by working at the 9/11 site, believes racism is a factor in the controversy, He said "even though my life has changed, I don't hate the Muslims.

"[182] Donna O'Connor, whose pregnant daughter died on 9/11, expressed the opinion that "This building will serve as an emblem for the rest of the world that Americans ... recognize that the evil acts of a few must never damn the innocent.

"[128] Sue Rosenblum, of Coral Springs, Florida, whose son Josh was killed in the WTC attacks on 9/11, said in reference to the planned center: "What are we teaching if we say you can't build here?

"[274] Another former Bush aide, speechwriter and policy advisor Michael Gerson, agreed that prohibiting the center would "undermine the war on terrorism": The militants hope, above all else, to provoke conflict between the West and Islam – to graft their totalitarian political manias onto a broader movement of Muslim solidarity.

[275]Mahmoud al-Zahar, a founding member and leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, said of the planned Cordoba House: "We have to build everywhere," and "In every area we have, (as) Muslim(s), we have to pray, and this mosque is the only site of prayer."

[295] Mark R. Cohen, professor of Jewish Civilization in the Near East in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University, opined that "The presence of ... mosques like the one planned near Ground Zero, which will be an educational center as well as a place of prayer, is one good way of transcending ...

"[299] During a CNN interview, Reza Aslan, a professor of creative writing at the University of California, Riverside, defended Imam Abdul Rauf as "cited by government's sources in the United States as one of America's most pluralistic peace promoting religious leaders in the country".