The Islamic Cultural Association – Franklin Michigan

http://ica-mi.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2011-Membership-Form.pdf

The Islamic Cultural Association, a faith-based community nonprofit in Oakland County, Mich., was founded in the early 1980s by a group of families whose goal was to establish a place where Muslims could gather to share their beliefs and values and build bridges with other groups of faith, Muslim and non-Muslim.

An estimated 100 families are members of the association and regularly visit to pray, observe religious holidays such as Ramadan and Eids (the Muslim Holidays), attend lectures and workshops and participate in youth mentorship programs. Another 100 families may participate occasionally as non-members throughout the year.

Special events and athletic programs are held off-site because of limited space and limited access – in the organization’s current Franklin Village leased location — prompting association leaders to secure a new facility to accommodate such programs and more members. To that end, a $1.1 million purchase agreement was finalized in
early June 2011 for a vacant school building, the former Eagle Elementary, in
West Bloomfield Township with property owner Farmington Public Schools.

 The facility will serve as West Bloomfield’s newest Community Center geared to serving the different needs of American Muslim families in the local area as well as serving other faith-based community members.

Community Benefits

• Creates new use for vacant structure
• Recreational space for youth: Baseball field, playground.

• Community lectures, workshops
• Beautifies and reinvigorates intersection at 14 Mile and Middlebelt
• Further diversifies township’s roster of cultural organizations, including the Chaldean Cultural Center and Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit.

Anticipated daily traffic lower than amount/flow with fewer intervals when building used as a school. The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) has already recommended studying an increase in the number of lanes from two to five on Middlebelt from Eight Mile to Maple, according to the township’s master plan.  Future land use policies in the master plan include regional development efforts fo 14 Mile Road

Planned activities and resources 

• Daily prayers: Highest attendance likely on Friday afternoons with 200 to 250 worshippers.
• Lectures, workshops for adults and youth
• Family and community holiday celebrations
• Monthly potlucks and brunches
• Available Facilities: Prayer Hall (Mosque), library and study space, childcare, gym and youth play area

Member Profile

• Married couples with two to three children at home
• Highly trained professionals, including doctors, dentists and business owners
• English and Arabic spoken at home
• Majority are residents of West Bloomfield, Franklin, Bloomfield Hills and Farmington Hills. Many were born, raised and continue to live in the area.