Future Islamic Facility next to new City Hall. City Council recently approved to purchase an office building in Tech Park for the new City Hall. It is expected to cost around $15milllion, after retrofitting.
In researching the parcels surrounding this recent building purchase & the land acquisition the City made in Tech Park for a Passive Park, the largest and most attractive undeveloped parcel adjacent was not purchased.
Sitting outside the flood plain, the 5.7-acre parcel was bought in 2004 by Tech Park Atlanta, for $433k. During the recession in 2009 sold it for $2.2 million to a group founded by Aga Khan, the 49th hereditary spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims.
It appears the purchase was contingent upon rezoning for an Islamic Facility. The zoning case was heard during the holidays in 2008 and went before council in January 2009. Here is Appen's report.
The Islamic Facility was approved unanimously. Although, no renderings were provided. Not even a doodle on a napkin was presented to council.
The approved footprint was 32,000ft with a small second story and building height of 40ft. It is unknown if the extra height is for the actual building or possible minaret, to announce the call to prayer.
The Arabic word Islam means "Submission", and Islam is the religion of submission to the will of Allah. The mosque is endowed to and property of Allah. It is solely for worship 5x a day.
An Islamic Facility has more elements of utilization for the Moslems beyond worship and tends to be larger with a courtyard, social gathering rooms, educational and spiritual areas.
Although there are several Islamic centers in North Fulton, most are of Sunni Denomination. Sunni's have proliferated across America, fleeing from war-torn Syria, Iraq & Sudan. There are fewer Shia's, as they tend to stay in their native Iran and other countries. Even with Islam calling itself the religion of peace, Sunni & Shia sects are unable to worship together.
The Shia's tend to travel long distances to worship, and thus their reason to open an Islamic Facility in Johns Creek.
With visitors from near and far for the Islamic Facility, they will be able to enjoy the new adjacent passive park the City is in the process of opening.
We will update if any renderings are submitted to Community Development for review, along with any building plans. Future Islamic Facility next to new City Hall.
Seriously,do u have to bring religion in everything.As long as the location is convenient for all official purposes i dont care if it is near a mosque or church or temple.would u write an article if it was another religious establishment was in plan.for christs sake stop bringing religion into everything.
For a community that prides itself on the look and feel, why should one religious institution be granted approval without renderings or plans, while other worship centers, like Johns Creek Presbyterian church, JCUMC, Chinese Atlanta Church have to present exhaustive material?
It's not about religion, rather special treatment?
This land deal is highly suspect.
Who pays five times the price and then sits on the land?
Why did "Billboard Bodker" vote to approve the rezoning when no drawings were presented?
Im from the government and im here to help you
What next???? When will Bodker be gone???Aren't there term limits?
I'm with you concerned!
Let's say it like it is folks. This is about money first and foremost. IT's always about the fat cats and their narcissistic greedy need for power, usually at the expense of the people- most of which just follow; i.e. Sheople, paying no attention to the changing landscape until they fall off the cliff.
But of greater concern; this is also about religion, like it or not. It's another example of JC City Council led by Bodker once again shoving things down our throats like it or not.
The Islam religion is based on intolerance for those that do not share their beliefs. Face facts. In too many cases this intolerance is dealt with violence towards the "infidels"; AKA in this case- Most Americans
It's our weakness and our quest to be PC that will eventually take this country down. Call me a bigot. I don't care. If you cannot see this train wreck then I pity you...
All wars are based on religion, and the religion of Islam is only a religion of peace towards those that are in their "tribes". Sound a little backwards??
Do we really want to bring the middle ages into our cities???
What do you think has been going on the Middle East for centuries? It's the most violent religion on earth. Wake up people!!!!!!!!!!
It's a cancer spreading throughout the world.
Eventually the United States will fall. It will be like Europe, now on the decline. One would think we, Americans, would learn from the failures of others; but the likes of Obama has made too many americans feel the need to apologize for the greatness and successes of USA. Not perfect for sure, but FAR better than most.
Well, yes. You are a bigot. And a pretty uniformed & closed minded one at that. You are obviously also a shpeople--listening to other shpeoples with no facts about Islam. Do your own research because Fox News is leading you shpeoples astray.
Very well said. Thank you!
The word "facility" is putting a pretty bow and the suspicious package. This is a mosque, a very LARGE mosque.
Not a mosque. Zoning has nothing to do with appearance unless it is stipulated in the conditions of approval. And it WAS qualified that the building appearance does have to be approved before it can be built.
It is zoned as an Islamic Facility. The plans are to be submitted to community development for approval.
When the plans are presented during the rezoning hearing, the City Council can take public input, or make changes, etc.
In other zoning cases, discussions have gotten as detailed as paint color. So it is quite unusual to approve of a development without any renderings.
You can read about the new director here:
https://www.johnscreekpost.com/high-density-apartments-whered-this-come-from/
In my opinion, this is a terrible idea. I absolutely agree with Concerned2. Please be aware of our tendency to overcorrect and be ridicululously politically correct. History is the best teacher. "The general population doesn't know what is happening, and it doesn't know that it doesn't know."
I totally agree with Concerned2! How did this get approved without a single drawing?! Can we start a petition to prevent this?!!!
Why do we need to spend 15M on a city hall? And when was the last time the city got a budget even remotely correct? What will the REAL cost of this be? I'm betting at least 2x what they want the public to believe. Maybe if employees sat in cubicles instead of private offices, the current space would suffice. Even CEO's of private companies sit in cubes. Why can't our public servants?
Countless atrocities have been commited in the name of religion, and Islam does not have a monopoly on that. Let's not forget our American history - the country as we know it was built by inflicting cruelty on the natives that had long inhabited it before the Christians "discovered " it. Let's not forget the brutality of the Trail of Tears that cleared our rich GA soil, aka taming and banishing the "heathens" to make the soil pure for Christ . Let's not forget the brutality and whippings of black Muslims on whose beaten backs agriculture in the south flourished and enriched its Christian citizens.
Im not implying a "tit for tat". A lot of these atrocities, often committed in the name of faith, are perpetuated by ignorance and lack of education. My suggestion is that we educate ourselves on "the other", or at least reach out a hand of friendship, rather than swallow whatever is spewed by media outlets and personalities fueled and sponsored by the $200 million+ Islamaphobia industry.