August 3, 2010
The Landmarks Preservation Commission gave the thumbs down this morning to giving a lower Manhattan building historic status -- paving the way for a controversial new mosque to open just blocks from Ground Zero.
The 9-0 vote opens the door for the demolition of the 152-year-old building on Park Place, where construction is planned for the mosque.
A few protesters heckled the commission at the end of the vote.
Mayor Bloomberg, who supports the mosque's construction, said the WTC site "will forever hold a special place in our city, in our hearts. But we would be untrue to the best part of ourselves – and who we are as New Yorkers and Americans – if we said ‘no’ to a mosque in Lower Manhattan."
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See also a related article in NYT
