Expansion of Assyrian church approved by local Chicago council
The Village of Skokie has approved a plan that will allow the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East to expand and build a dedicated worship space after years of waiting.
The planning board and village trustees granted both a special use permit for religious assembly and site plan approval for the project, which will relocate the congregation’s worship services from a gymnasium into a proper 6,658-square-foot church area, with seating for around 300 parishioners. The new site was a former Jewish center, the Chicago Tribune reports.
The approved plans include a 1,536-square-foot addition to the existing building, a new entrance and façade, interior remodeling, and improved landscaping. The design also includes a mezzanine, sacristy, offices, and accessibility features such as an elevator.
To support parking needs for larger services, the church will implement a shuttle service to additional spaces at the Assyrian National Council of Illinois.
The approvals mark a significant development for the Assyrian community in the Chicago area, giving Mar Sargis Parish a permanent home after years of worshipping in a gymnasium space.
Chicago and its northern suburb Skokie hold a special place in the modern Assyrian story. For decades, they have been a center of Assyrian migration, community building, and political and cultural life in the United States.
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The Assyria Post
The Assyria Post
