By Fred R. Conrad (courtesy New York Times)

••• The New York Times spoke with Brookfield chairman John E. Zuccotti about the attention his park has been receiving: “Certainly, nobody recognized him during several casual sojourns he has made to the park from his office at the World Financial Center to survey the scene, including one on Wednesday. (He said he did not interact with any of the protesters.)”

••• “The developer behind the proposed Islamic community center in Lower Manhattan has become ensnared in a rent dispute that threatens the plan, one of the development group’s leaders, Sharif El-Gamal, said in a lawsuit. Mr. El-Gamal’s group, which owns part of the property on Park Place but rents a part from Consolidated Edison, owes $1.7 million in back rent, according to the utility company. Con Edison has threatened to terminate the lease, which would imperil Mr. El-Gamal’s right to buy the property, as provided for in the agreement.” —The New York Times

••• “Brookfield Office Properties Inc., the reluctant host to the growing Occupy Wall Street protests in Zuccotti Park, is doubling down on Lower Manhattan by expanding its stake in the World Financial Center, the onetime headquarters of Merrill Lynch & Co. Brookfield is in a deal with Bank of America Corp. to buy the financial firm’s 49% stake in 4 World Financial Center, making Brookfield the tower’s full owner, according to people familiar with the matter.” —Wall Street Journal

••• “The [East River] ferry service that the city started in June has attracted twice as many riders as its planners had expected. On sunny weekends, it has been so popular with tourists and wandering residents that some boats have been too full to take on everybody waiting on the piers in Brooklyn.” Tell me about it (and try getting home from “south Williamsburg”). —The New York Times

••• “The city’s sweeping rezoning of lower Manhattan’s schools will not hurt property values in North Tribeca, three neighborhood brokers said this month.” Would these brokers have a vested interest in people still wanting to list their apartments or look for one in the area? —DNAinfo

••• Healthy chain Naked Pizza is still said to be opening in Tribeca. —The New York Times