St. Anthony City Council approves zoning for mosque, community center

After months of debate, the St. Anthony City Council on Tuesday agreed to allow a mosque and Islamic youth center to operate inside a former bank building, despite some hesitation about the site’s condition and project plans.

Dozens of residents packed Tuesday evening’s meeting and pleaded with the council to greenlight the project, saying it will provide a needed community resource for an underserved population in the north metro. After about three hours of debate and public comments, the council unanimously approved rezoning for the community center, at the old Bremer Bank property in the 2400 block of Lowry Avenue NE, with several conditions.

The building, sitting at the northeast corner of Kenzie Terrace and Stinson Parkway, will house the Tibyan Center, which offers Islamic studies and programming for school-aged children, plus a mosque for worship and space for community events. The center bought the building that previously was zoned to allow for a 76-unit affordable housing development, a project that has stalled.

“The center has been growing and is in need of a facility that can provide this education,” Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told the council during the meeting, adding that he aims for the educational programming to help address closing the achievement gap among Minnesota’s students of color and their white counterparts.

Center leaders initially struggled to gain approval for the project, with members of the planning commission unsure about abandoning the idea of putting affordable housing on the site, and the potential loss in tax revenue with the building rezoned for religious use. While many residents have shown up to support the project, some others have spoken out about traffic, parking and other concerns.

The project gained more attention earlier this year after vandals damaged the building, and stole computers and other pricey items. Hussein said vandals had broken into the building eight times, causing more than $20,000 in damage.

After discussion with city officials, the planning commission recommended approval of the zoning change in August. But in September, the City Council delayed a vote on the project after two hours of discussion and members continuing to question the best use for the property.

Council members maintained some concerns about the project on Tuesday, saying that addressing the affordable housing shortage remains a top priority.

“We want to continue to be a welcoming, inclusive community,” Mayor Wendy Webster said. “And at the same time, we know we have a tremendous need for affordable housing.”

Webster and some on the council also said they were worried about project leaders not having immediate plans to build an outdoor playground, arguing that was a necessary amenity for children. And council members said the agreement must include plans to address the environmental condition on the site, which city leaders say has contamination issues.

“The thing I am most careful and concerned about is you are also buying a polluted piece of land. I want to make sure you are safe in your facilities,” Council Member Lona Doolan said, adding that “if it was any other property in our community, I wouldn’t have any hesitation or reservation.”

The council approved the rezoning request with several requirements, including that a playground be constructed within two years, and that the city receives plans for parking, staffing, and added landscaping, as well as environmental reports with proposals on addressing the pollution concerns.