The King of Saudi Arabia is said to be in talks with New York officials about a plan to move the controversial Ground Zero mosque to a disused medical centre, Daily Mail reported on Monday. Lawyer Dudley Gaffin claims King Abdullah is considering buying St Vincents Medical Centre in the West Village to build an Islamic cultural centre on the site. Under the proposals, the hospital would also be saved with units shut when it filed for bankruptcy in April reopened, the New York Post reported. Sources said that Mr Gaffin has come up with the plan in a bid to head off the Rudin Organisation, which is trying to buy St Vincents with a view to constructing luxury housing. One community leader, who did not want to be identified, told the newspaper: 'Hes asking what it would take to put in a bid. 'He says the king wants to do this as a PR move - to save the hospital and move the mosque away from the World Trade Centre site. The former hospital would cost at least $300million - the amount that the Sisters of Charity - which owns the site - owes to creditors GE Capital and TD bank. Mr Gaffin said the mosque and cultural centre would be built on the site of a former nursing facility on 12th Street. It is unclear whether he has discussed the idea with Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg. His nephew, Ariel Barkai, confirmed he was friends with a Saudi royal. He said: 'There were some discussions - somebodys trying to save the hospital. 'But the Saudis never hired us.