Last year, the Port Authority struck a deal with the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church over the church's land at Ground Zero. The church was destroyed on 9/11 and the Port Authority offered $20 million to the church for the land (it was planning a vehicle security center underground) and $40 million in infrastructure; the church would move a block to a bigger lot. But now the deal is off, because, as the PA claims, the church was demanding more. According to reports, the church wanted to build a basilica that would have been taller than the World Trade Center memorial—plus wanted approval of the security center, the $20 million upfront and another $20 million if the land wasn't turned over by 2011. A church spokesman told the Times they are continuing talks, "We consider the rebuilding of the St. Nicholas Church a sacred obligation to the victims of 9/11, to the city of New York, to the people of America and in fact to the international community."
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