Condo board trying to evict Ground Zero mosque tenants

A Tribeca condo board threatened to stop Ground Zero mosque worshipers from renting space in its tony building, sparking charges of discrimination.

Park51, the organization behind the controversial Islamic prayer space and community center proposed for Park Place, leased the condos 49-51 Warren St. storefront in August.

But by Sept. 18, before any prayer services were even conducted there, the condo where apartments sell for $1 million and up and one features a bowling alley posted a legal notice telling Park51 to get out by months end.

Park51 needs the space because its planned mosque near Ground Zero is under construction.

Christophe Cornaire, the owner of the Warren Street retail space and a former Cantor Fitzgerald managing director, has hired a lawyer to make sure the condo board does not evict the mosque.

The unit owner is rattling sabers at us, said Richard Menaker, a lawyer for the condo board. Hes been accusing the board of misbehaving here ... [of being] discriminatory.

Menaker says bigotry has nothing to do with it that the condo is simply holding Cornaire accountable for failing to fully disclose how the space would be used and how many people would use it.

The key thing is, theyre talking about using the basement space which is not allowed to be used by people, Menaker said.

Developer Sharif El-Gamals Ground Zero mosque has been shrouded in controversy since it was unveiled in 2010.Photo: Splash News

In the past, hundreds of Muslim worshipers crowded a makeshift prayer space on Park Place for Friday services, many spilling over into the basement of the building.

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Condo board trying to evict Ground Zero mosque tenants