EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis): Twenty-one full years after September 11, 2001, more than 300% percent over budget, allegations of mismanagement, no audit trail, and fraud… And the money trail of corruption reaching out from Ground Zero to the Constantinople Patriarchate and, unfortunately, to Ukraine… A real catastrophe, with the federal criminal investigation still open and no end in sight… Why? Apparently, some people in high places in DC use the federal probe to blackmail those who have many reasons to be blackmailed and especially Patriarch Bartholomew…
Yet, after all these millions the “Shrine” is not complete yet… Some rumors were percolating a few weeks ago, initiated by the Archbishop himself, that the …eternal project will need another … $40 Million to be completed!!… And recently, yet more rumors, that GOARCH will pay handily (meaning hundreds of thousands of $$) for the internal scaffolding to come down just for this week’s ceremonies and go back up later… Well, when will it finally be COMPLETELY done? Sometime later this year, by September 11, if we are lucky – says the article below by Michael Young…
But the biggest problems will start after its completion, with the maintenance and operating expenses of Saint Nicholas that are going to be substantial – this is why the Port Authority asked for an additional $3 million to be put in a special account for these purposes. Unfortunately, the people who mishandled everything so far cannot be trusted to do the right thing now… On top of everything else, New York City, destroyed by eight years of liberal leftist mayoral policies by Mayor “De Blaze” that continue under mayor Adams, is entering a phase of decline: lack of safety in the streets and subways and a looming financial disaster will diminish the number of visitors, domestic and international…
And so the “Curse of Saint Nicholas” will stay in effect until the faithless GOARCH and Patriarchate leadership sincerely repent… But how can this happen when their sinful arrogance is part of the iconography of Saint Nicholas? Lord have mercy on them…
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St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church’s Exterior Nears Completion In Financial District, Manhattan
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Designed by Santiago Calatrava.Work on the white marble and glass façade of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church is bringing the long-awaited project closer to completion in the Financial District. Designed by Santiago Calatrava and developed by The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the reinforced concrete structure sits atop the eastern end of Liberty Park by the intersection of Greenwich and Liberty Streets. The ground floor rests on the elevated park space, which itself serves as the roof for the southern entrance and exit of the vehicle security center for the World Trade Center complex.
There have been several significant changes since YIMBY’s last construction update in mid-March. The main western façade has been enclosed in a pleated glass wall above the main entrance with additional marble panels attached to the metal framework. A secondary layer of glass is inlaid with a translucent grid of the same cross motif found on the square openings on the northern and southern sides of the church.
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Photo by Michael Young
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Photo by Michael Young
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Photo by Michael Young
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Photo by Michael Young
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Photo by Michael Young
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Photo by Michael Young
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Photo by Michael Young
The cross has been installed atop the nearly finished dome once again and is illuminated at nighttime.
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Photo by Michael Young
The large banners that wrapped in front of the metal fencing and plastic barriers were removed, providing a better view of the front doors beneath the arched canopy, as well as the brick and stone pavement and surrounding landscaping.
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Photo by Michael Young
Only a few marble slabs have yet to be installed on the eastern profile, the two rounded corners of the facility, and around the base of the dome. On the north side facing the 9/11 Memorial & Museum is the staircase connecting Liberty Park to Liberty Street with metal hand railings attached parallel with the glass edge, and dark bricks on the landings.
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Photo by Michael Young
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Photo by Michael Young
A revised completion date has yet to be announced, but YIMBY estimates the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church will finally wrap up construction sometime later this year, maybe in time for the 21st anniversary.
The Curse of St. Nicholas goes on!
NO SURPRISE when feckless, limp wristed Elps is at the helm &
the “retired but still pulling strings”
Prince of Darkness – Alex Karloutsos
forges on this sinister agenda to take down the church.
With all due respect, in a million years, one would not recognize the architecture of this church as either Orthodox or Byzantine. If not for the cross, it does not resemble a church at all. It looks like a prison or silos from a barn. Or a bunker preparing for nuclear attack. One might feel claustrophobic just looking at the exterior.
Yes, it truly lacks any architectural or aesthetic merit. What a shame. A mockery of our faith, an assault to the eyes, an unworthy memorial to those whose lives were lost.
Simply because of their continuous action, it’s impossible to trust Bart, Elpi and Karloutsos. I can’t help but hope that criminal charges are brought but they won’t be because they financially support Biden and the governor of New York.
Is the cross still there? I see it in one of the pictures but it’s so tiny I guess one can only see it at a distance.
The cross has been installed I think recently…
The facade would make a great facade for Bloomingdale’s…St. Nicholas deserves better…and the icon of Bart the heretic in the narthax…is so heretical…if not outright evil.
This structure has no resemblance to a church. Anathema.
No closed altar, so this expensive disgrace was NEVER even intended to replace the church of St Nicholas that was destroyed on 9/11. Devious and sinister at every level of this farce.
Shrine?? Maybe we can agree to call it what it really is, at best a Visitors Center. More accurately, a public restroom that the GOA is obligated to maintain from now on.
How many priests in the parishes, who were trained in Brookline, feel that emptying their office wastebasket or checking a thermostat is beneath them? Do you suppose they’ll volunteer to keep the paper towels stocked in the men’s room here?
Maybe the Archons can earn a patch to sew onto their nifty jackets by logging hours as “Shrine Rangers”.
Please forgive me, I was mistaken.
I searched and found pictures of the interior and there WILL be a closed altar.
But because the GOA announced that other faiths, (including non-Chirstian?) will be welcomed to use this ‘facility’, I stand by my other remarks.
What a mess.
The Byzantine Cross should be bigger!
The Vampires of GOA truly are like Dracula,
afraid of the Cross ~
and all holy symbols,
that’s why they’re hubris injected painting Bartholomew in Icon…
The sacred Cross is anathema to their being.
This is the ugliest Orthodox Church building I’ve ever seen.
Agree. It’s like the devil: ugly.
The sides look like some kind of floatation devices, or one of those water planes in Alaska, as one looks for bears! 😂
This visitor’s center is def not Greek Orthodox, and most def an ecumenist, heterodox, fantasy-land come true….
Και του χρόνου! 🎉🎉🎉
And next year!!
Coupled w the brethren’s rebuke – incandescently ironic
The Calatrava Shrine debacle- aka, St. Nicholas, pays homage to the secular and non-Christian ideology of a “shrine to all” people. The fact that this “shrine” was designed by a Spaniard and not a Greek Architect who specializes in Ecclesiastical Architecture is a mere slap in the face! Trust me when I write that those making the decisions never had the “FAITH-ful” in their hearts.
As my family has written and predicted years ago, this monstrosity will forever plague the stupid Greeks until it is completely turned over and surrendered to the Port Authority for the coming–lack of tourism and money which will be needed to maintain the already aging property and unfinished edifice. Forget about the monies already held by the Port Authority in which the Greeks had to give and then give more, as a “good faith” (no pun) fund for default. How much has this totaled in all??? I don’t even want to know anymore…
Instead of giving the corrupt Port Authority money to erect such an embarrassing edifice destroyed by an Act of Terrorism 20+ years ago, the Greeks should have instead, demanded and received payment in full for the priceless land on which the original church was built and fled Manhattan!
But noooooooo, we stupid Greeks lead by an even dumber cabal of egotistic and narcissistic driven Archons, the Prince of Darkness, Pat Bart, AB Elpidontokos et al, negotiated instead, an EXCHANGE for the land on which a church was paid for in full and owned outright for a LEASE on the land under which we have generously contributed and paid handsomely to erect a “community”, monument. A structure which has no resemblance of an Orthodox Church, which will house icons of a heretic alongside icons more worthy than the structure itself will ever be in the eyes of our Father.
Stupid Greeks is right Margaret …
now we see NY Post shows Rasputin Karloutsos getting his fake award from fake president Biden, is there no shame?