Why location, specifically 45 Park Place, is the issue:

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/12/08/nyregion/MOSQUE_SS_6.html

“Parts of a landing gear from one of the planes that hit the World Trade Center on 9/11 broke through the roof and two floors. The Burlington Coat Factory had not yet opened, and employees were having breakfast in the basement. No one there was injured.”
Photo: Kukiko Mitani

[I do not understand why reporters and bloggers never mention this fact about 45 Park Place. THIS is why Rauf wanted the building, and why 9/11 firefighter and survivor Timothy Brown had taken up the stalled landmarking case from 1989. ]

Seeing this photo, and the satellite photo taken on 9/23/2001 posted at wiki (URL below) is what made me start seeing 45 Park Place as a 9/11 survivor and part of Ground Zero.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:World_Trade_Center_Site_9-23-01_with_Cordoba_House_location.jpg