Michigan: Pittsfield Township Approves Long-Awaited Muslim Community Center
On May 8, township planners unanimously approved the final site plan for the Hidaya Muslim Community Center and an accompanying residential development, Mlive reported on Thursday.
The approved project includes a 58,000-square-foot community center and 11 duplex buildings containing a total of 22 housing units. The development will be located south of Ellsworth Road at the intersection with Golfside Road, between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti.
The Hidaya Muslim Community Association, a nonprofit based in Ann Arbor, is leading the initiative. According to the association, the center will feature dedicated prayer halls for men and women, a gymnasium with basketball courts, multi-purpose and activity rooms, and other community-oriented spaces.
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Though designed to serve the Muslim population, the facility will not require membership and will be open to individuals of all faiths. It is intended to be open to people of all faiths, with the goal of building cultural understanding, said Mohamad Issa, the association’s treasurer.
The project has its roots in an effort launched roughly 15 years ago, initially aimed at establishing an Islamic school. In 2011, township officials denied a rezoning request, citing concerns about traffic and neighborhood impact.
The Michigan Islamic Academy, with support from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, filed a lawsuit. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice also brought a suit, alleging the township had violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.
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Both cases were resolved in 2016. Under a $1.7 million settlement and a court-issued consent judgment, the development was permitted to proceed.
Source: Agencies
