Consolidated Edison owns part of a site that the Park51 developers want to use for the center. The utility says that after an appraisal, the rent for that part has gone up, and now Park51 owes $1.7 million in back rent.
The center has been paying Con Ed about $2,700 a month, a rent that was set back in 1972. But when the cultural center signed a new lease in 2008, it agreed to pay a higher rent based on the market value of the property. That added up to $47,000 a month, a rent that Park51 disputes and refuses to pay.
In court papers, the developer says Con Ed is using an incorrect formula to determine the rent and back payments owed.
A court date in connection to the dispute is scheduled for November.
