Controversial Park51 opens without controversy - am New York
After more than a year of controversy, the Park51 Islamic Community Center opened its doors Wednesday night two blocks from the World Trade Center, but that storm of contention was largely absent — as was the mosque.
Residents of the area were generally pleased that the scaled-back center opened – and at worst ambivalent – and the scene was void of protesters or anything much resembling the quarreling that has hovered around the center, which is at 51 Park Place between Church Street and West Broadway.
“You have to open it up if we want to be a free country,” said Joe Marino, 50, of Battery Park City. “You can’t suspect everyone in the world because of how they look or because of their background.”
Mery Mugo, 33, who lives a few blocks away, agreed, saying it’s beneficial for both the neighborhood’s spirits and its business.
“It’s a good idea, it will bring people together,” she said.
As parts of its opening ceremony, the center featured a photo exhibit by Danny Goldfield called “NYChildren,” which displays 169 images of immigrant children.
Controversy erupted in the summer of 2010 when opponents thought it was inappropriate to build the center and a mosque so close to the World Trade Center. But the plan no longer has a mosque, and its founder likened the complex to a community center modeled after the 92nd St. Y and the Jewish Community Center.