Procurement News Notice |
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| PNN | 3470 |
| Work Detail | Construction recently started on what's planned to be the first mosque in Lincolnwood, according to leaders of Muslim organization Sacred Learning NFP, a nonprofit group building the facility at 3900 W. Devon Ave. The new mosque and religious education center will host prayer and educational services to accommodate at least 400 followers, according to project plans the Lincolnwood Village Board approved last year. The Islamic center would host five daily prayer sessions a day, beginning at dawn and ending 90 minutes after sunset, site plans show. The building also will have a worship space with room for 113 prayer mats that would double as a classroom, as well as office space and a lecture area. Two years ago, Sacred Learning purchased the former site where Myron & Phil's steak house operated for decades until 2013, when a kitchen fire led to the owner's decision to close down and open a new restaurant in Niles. Construction on the mosque started in early August. Sacred Learning remains on schedule to open the 16,000-square-foot mosque next summer, said Executive Vice President Sayeed Shariff. "We're super excited that construction is starting, especially since it's been a long time coming after going through all of the zoning approvals," Shariff said. "We're excited to become a part of the fabric of Lincolnwood." The property had most of the proper zoning to house a religious center when it was purchased, according to the village. Trustees in 2015 approved a set of zoning variations to clear the other hurdles associated with the project, which gained clearance from the Illinois Department of Transportation last May. Village board members approved Aug. 16 a request from Shariff to use a piece of village-owned property, located behind the construction site, as a temporary storage area for discarded building materials. The temporary easement agreement requires Shariff to restore the property, which backs up to an area where a bike path is being built, to its original condition at the end of the work period by restoring the topsoil, and removing any construction debris and equipment. The closest mosque to Lincolnwood is the Muslim Education Center in Morton Grove. Shariff said the Lincolnwood facility would serve 500 Muslim families. Despite anti-Muslim sentiment that can happen in some areas of the country, residents in Lincolnwood haven't voiced noticeable opposition to Sacred Learning's plans to build the mosque. Village board members didn't object to the initial proposal. Trustee Ron Cope did question Shariff last year about the types of religious activities that would be held in the building and how the mosque would affect traffic in the neighborhood. No one from the public turned up at the board meetings last year, when Sacred Learning received the green light from the village. Lincolnwood Police Chief Bob LaMantia said he hasn't noticed any negative feelings among the community. "It's been relatively peaceful," LaMantia said. "There's been nothing that has risen to the level of requiring police attention." The Muslim Education Center in Morton Grove was in the national spotlight four years ago, when a neighbor fired a rifle at the building during a Ramadan prayer session. David Conrad, of Morton Grove, pleaded guilty in 2014 to charges he fired a high-velocity air rifle at the mosque. He was sentenced to 30 months of probation and ordered to pay court fines, according to reports from the Chicago Tribune. |
| Country | United States , Northern America |
| Industry | Construction |
| Entry Date | 03 Sep 2016 |
| Source | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lincolnwood/news/ct-lwr-mosque-project-tl-0901-20160825-story.html |
