The ICN Project
Neighbors in favor of a neighborhood mosque
The Islamic Center of Naperville (ICN) is planning to build a new, expanded center on 248th Avenue between 95th St. and 103rd St., on a 13.6-acre parcel of land. If completed, it would be among the largest centers of its kind in North America.
The surrounding communities support a neighborhood-scale mosque. What concerns them is the proposed scale of the five-phase project, and some of its larger elements.
Plans for the center include:
- Phase 1 Mosque: 28,400 sq ft
- Phase 2 School:41,749 sq ft
- Phase 3 Multi-Purpose Hall: 22,226 sq ft
- Phase 4 Gym: 25,595 sq ft
- Phase 5 Mosque expansion: 3,259 sq ft
Figures from City correspondence—April, 2021
ICN owns the property, and the site has been annexed into the City of Naperville. The site is currently zoned R1 (Low-Density Single-Family residential zoning) and it is surrounded on all sides by communities with that same zoning. A change of zoning from “R1” to “R1 with Conditional Use” zoning would be required for a place of worship, such as a mosque.
The project has been discussed in terms of a 40-year timeline, although current plans have no language preventing the construction of all elements within a few years.
Among the larger elements of the plan:
- Multi-Purpose Hall. This is facility that would generate revenue from banquets, conventions and large-scale events. Initial plans suggest that it will have 17,768 square feet on the first floor, and an additional 4,458 square feet in the lower level, for a total of 22,226 square feet. There is also an 8,000 square foot multi-purpose space (with kitchen) planned for the mosque’s basement. The largest event space at the Naper Road Marriott is 7,031 square feet; the multi-purpose hall has a 9,384 square foot event space.
- Gym. This is fitness facility is proposed as a revenue-generating operation, to be used primarily by adults on nights and weekends. This facility is comparable in size to an LA Fitness Center.
Plans for the project will likely be revised more than once before a final decision is made. That decision, which will be made by the City Council, will not come until after the Planning and Zoning Commission completes its review. That review may not be completed until the end of the summer, or later.