Mrs. Lawrence, whose daughter lived in a converted chicken coop when the zoning battle started, remains hopeful in spite of the long delays.

The group wanted to build 5,000 apartments and a 1,200-room hotel but got bogged down in a zoning battle with the city, which wanted the island for a public park.

However, renovation delays, unforeseen building conditions, and lengthy zoning battles resulted.

"It sends a message now in a time of great building," said Betty Cooper Wallerstein, who has been a leader in the zoning battle.

The zoning battle is hardly the French Revolution.

A plan to reopen the bar in a South Austin trailer park has sparked a zoning battle that some say represents a fight for the city's soul.

What makes this zoning battle trickier than most is that the preservation side of the equation supports the project in principle.

The zoning battle here is similar to a fight in Harrison, N.Y., where a proposed temple has sparked neighborhood opposition.

A 6-month zoning battle followed with the city of Pawtucket; the CSPH was eventually allowed to open in early 2010.

The City Planning Commission has taken the middle ground in a zoning battle between a developer and residents living near John Jay Park, angering both sides.