St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church To Be Rebuilt After 9/11 Destruction

NEW YORK -- It took a decade, but a deal has finally been struck to rebuild a church destroyed on 9/11, the church and a public agency announced Friday.

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said they have resolved their long dispute over how to rebuild St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, a small, 85-year-old chapel that stood across the street from the World Trade Center and was destroyed when the towers fell.

The church and the public agency had been at odds over the details of a land swap that will move the church slightly down the street to make way for some of the giant construction projects now under way at ground zero.

The settlement, mediated by the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, will end a lawsuit filed by the archdiocese earlier this year. Under the deal, the Port Authority will pay for site-work and below-ground infrastructure. The cost of that work is estimated to be about $25 million, according to the governor's office. The archdiocese will pay for the construction of the chapel.

The new church will be about 3 1/2 times as large as the old one, and also house a nondenominational bereavement center.

The leader of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, Archbishop Demetrios, said the church's continued presence at the trade center site will be "an affirmation of the significance of religious freedom and experience for all New Yorkers and all Americans."

"We will again light many candles in the new St. Nicholas Church and remember those who were lost to us, and those heroes who so nobly sacrificed their lives," he said.

Comments

[CSKAP]

10:44 AM on 10/17/2011

I thought no religious buildings could be built on this "sacred site" or was that just some religions?

[MorseCode]

08:21 AM on 10/17/2011

You may think this is a "waste of space", but for the parishioners of this church, it is not a waste of space. For people of other faiths, who will use its nondenominational bereavement center, it is not a waste of space. You are entitled to your views on religion, and the faithful are entitled to theirs. For those who believe, religion greatly enriches their lives.

The basic, indisputable facts here are that the Greek Orthodox Church owned the church that was destroyed on 9/11. It had stood there for almost 100 years. The Greek Orthodox Church still owns the land on which the church stood, and as such they have a right to rebuild.

The Greeks are a proud people, and they are a religious people. I can totally understand why they want their church rebuilt on that location. That the PA has been holding up this project for so long because of its own convoluted plans for the area is a monumental shame.

[rikster]

11:11 AM on 10/16/2011

glad to hear this significant landmark will be rebuilt...

[xhawk2]

09:33 PM on 10/14/2011

I wonder if the same liberals who were pushing for that mosque are going to be happy the church is being rebuilt.

[Slowtrain9]

07:58 PM on 10/14/2011

Extremely happy day!!!

"St. Nicholas Church, rising again with the help of God at Ground Zero - where it stood spiritually important for 85 years, is an affirmation of the significance of religious freedom and experience for all New Yorkers and all Americans. The covenant stands firm. We will again light many candles in the new St. Nicholas Church and remember those who were lost to us, and those heroes who so nobly sacrificed their lives. Our pledge is to be a witness for all New Yorkers, that freedom of conscience and the fundamental human right of free religious expression will always shine forth in the resurrected St. Nicholas Church.” ~ Archbishop Demetrios (Greek Orthodox Church)

Beautiful.

[BVictor1]

05:07 PM on 10/14/2011

So are the people who protested the 'Ground Zer0 Mosque', which is neither a mosque nor at Ground 0 going to protest this place or worship?

Just wondering...

[syntax facit saltum]

08:55 PM on 10/14/2011

Just for a little background, in any case, this church was *destroyed* in the 9/11 attack so you really can't compare the two situations the way you do. It is a case of rebuilding, not building. (but for the record, I have no problem with the so called Ground Zero Mosque.)

[bluguy8]

11:02 AM on 10/16/2011

No .this church is being rebuilt .it isn't a new project like the NEW Mosque

[syntax facit saltum]

04:07 PM on 10/14/2011

Moderators, why didn't my previous comment even register?

[syntax facit saltum]

07:20 PM on 10/14/2011

okay. It was obviously just some bug in the postings.

[Certified Jatt]

04:07 PM on 10/14/2011

Ground zero church.

[syntax facit saltum]

04:06 PM on 10/14/2011

This is a very good thing!
IC XC
NI KA