Moshe Sukenik, EVP of Newmark Knight Frank, tells GlobeSt.comthat the five-year search has ended in a way that "no oneenvisioned" years ago when the process began. The Lincoln SquareSynagogue occupies two adjacent sites that had unused air rightsand contained one older building that was in disrepair at 200Amsterdam Ave. Through the years a number of plans were suggested,including selling the sites to a residential developer who wouldbuild the synagogue into the base of the project, and teaming upwith a nonprofit that was looking to build.

As these two deals were beginning to take form another beganbrewing. "The ACP stepped up to the plate with a more aggressiveoffer," Sukenik says. The offer was a trade. The Synagogue, whichcouldn't move far since the congregation walks to services, wouldtake a 12,000-sf parcel on Amsterdam Avenue that is part of abigger site owned by ACP. The new location is roughly 100 feet fromthe former one and will be a stand-alone which Sukenik says isvirtually impossible to find in today's market for a nonprofit. Forits part ACP would take the Synagogue's two parcels and write acheck that would cover a majority of the 52,000-sf building'sconstruction costs for the new Lincoln Square Synagogue.

"By developing a creative land swap, we are able to build a newsynagogue that both suits the membership's needs and through thearchitectural design, continue Lincoln Square's role as the leaderof modern Orthodoxy," says Scott Liebman, head of the synagogue'snew building committee.