Announcing Park51, a Community Center for All New York

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) July 13, 2010 -- New York, NY (July 13, 2010) – Soho Properties, in conjunction with New York’s Muslim
communities, are pleased to announce Park51, a world-class community center which will
provide lower Manhattan and the metropolitan region with unique cultural, educational and
recreational opportunities.

“From the very beginning, we’ve wanted this to be a transparent and responsive process,” says
Sharif El-Gamal, CEO of Soho Properties, a private real estate developer in Manhattan. “We

want New Yorkers to know we are building this institution for all of us.”

Park51 intends to establish a friendly, inviting institution that serves all New Yorkers. To improve
outreach, increase programmatic capacity and create synergies with like-minded institutions and
individuals, Cordoba House will serve as a dedicated interfaith center within Park51.

Park51 is New York, an open space for all of us: private moments for peaceful reflection, vibrant
spaces for exciting events, and a commitment to our environment and our common future. A

$100 million investment in the future of our city, Park51 will bring 150 jobs, badly-needed meeting
spaces of all sizes, high-tech learning spaces and a 500-seat auditorium to lower Manhattan.

Following in the footsteps of the YMCA and JCC, Park51 will also offer New Yorkers unparalleled
opportunities to learn about the diverse cultural and artistic heritages of the Muslim American
tapestry. Future facilities will include a mosque space, providing New York’s growing Muslim
population with a communal place to pray and opportunities for engagement with and service to
all.

“So many people believe in this project,” notes Imam Feisal Abdul-Rauf, an interfaith leader who
has ministered to Manhattan’s Muslims for over 25 years. “We’re very grateful for their statements
of support, and eager to work with them to make this vision a reality.”

Community Board 1, recognizing the importance of this community center for lower Manhattan,
has endorsed Park51 and unanimously recommended against landmark status. Congressman
Jerry Nadler of the 64th Assembly District is behind the project. New York State Governor
David Paterson, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and Senator Daniel Squadron have issued

statements of support, while New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Manhattan Borough
President Scott Stringer and City Comptroller John Liu have offered strong support. Also voicing
support are City Councilwoman Margaret Chin and City Councilman Robert Jackson.

We will incorporate as a non-profit entity and seek Federal tax-exempt status. In the near-term,
Park51 will develop interim programming and develop partnerships with like-minded institutions
and individuals, becoming a model for responsible community development in our ever-more
multicultural society.

Please visit us at www.park51.org for more information.

For Inquiries:
Oz Sultan
Press / Blogger / Social Media Liaison
Tel: 917 791 0795
E: park51nyc@gmail.com

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