$5 million mosque planned for downtown
February 02, 2010
Denise Davy
Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/716584
Hamilton's downtown Muslim community has big plans.
Worshippers at the Hamilton Downtown Mosque want to expand their quarters at 96 Wilson St.
The plan is to grow out of the building in which they have operated more than 30 years and construct a new mosque, an elementary school and housing for new immigrants.
The expanded complex, estimated to cost $5 million, would grow out of the present quarters and occupy a city block bounded by Wilson, Mary, Catherine North and Rebecca.
But the expansion is not a done deal. Part of the necessary property is city owned and another portion owned by the province. Mosque spokesperson Mohamed Khattab says the group has been told that Hamilton police are interested in some of the property as well.
Police have not confirmed that interest to the Spectator.
The city’s public works department is also looking at the land for a water-pumping station.
Bill Farkas, manager of real estate for the city, said they’ve been asked by public works to find another plot of land that would be suitable.
Khattab said the existing mosque can accommodate about 200 people.
“We need a mosque that can take 600 to 700 people,” he said, adding they frequently send the overflow crowd to other mosques.
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