But the plan was killed by a combination of factors, including opposition led by a group known as the Ironbound Community Corporation, which feared the loss of recreational space, including a soccer field.
He cried every day, he said, finding solace only with his wife, their children and a small group of French expatriates who are all in disputes with their Qatari employers, including a soccer coach, Stéphane Morello, and an entrepreneur named Nasser al-Awartany.
It includes a soccer field, a baseball diamond and playground equipment.
The president's political opponents say he has beggared the country to pay for his playthings, which include a soccer team that hires expensive players from abroad.
So far, the 70 or so "white pieces" include a soccer ball, a drawing by the couple's young daughter and a short film by Ms. Wah Nu's father, the filmmaker Maung Wanna, that the couple whitened through overexposure.
Britain doesn't make much any more, and it's interesting to speculate what a lineup of today's local worthies might include: a soccer player, a pop star, an Asian-born trader or two, an architect, some gay entrepreneurs, and last but not least, a bust of a TV anchor with a taste for rock 'n' roll.
The nine businesses linked to Márquez include a soccer school, several health and fitness centers and his Rafa Márquez Foundation, a charity supported by Barcelona F.C. Mexican agents reportedly raided two of those firms on Wednesday.
These included a soccer club, a savings club, a traditional dance group, a garden cooperative, a political youth club, an Apostolic women's group, a bee-keeping society and a burial society.
Other gifts include a soccer ball – recognizing the power of sport and play in creating a happy, healthy childhood – and a storybook to nurture a love of reading and learning.
Egypt is a land known for many things, including a strong soccer culture and renowned squash stars.
But the group is also changing its position at a time when the military-controlled government appears overwhelmed by domestic and foreign crises, including a deadly soccer riot last week followed by five days of violent protests, a standoff with Washington that has imperiled billions of dollars in United States aid and international loans, and an economy teetering on collapse.
