Islamic foundation acquires Faith Lutheran Church building at Peterson and Melvina avenues
by BRIAN NADIG
The site of Faith Lutheran Church, 6201 W. Peterson Ave., was sold last week and reportedly will be used as a mosque.
The new owner is the North American Foundation of Islamic Services, according to listing agent Chad Bermingham of Cresa real estate company. A representative of the foundation could not be reached for comment.
The Web site for the group’s Chicago chapter contains pictures of foundation activities, including a family camping retreat, dating back 2007. The Web site does not list an address for the foundation.
The RS-3 zoning of the site allows a variety of uses, including single-family homes, two-flats, religious assembly and schools. The site includes a 20-space parking lot.
The church, which held its 90th anniversary service in November, reportedly decided to disband due to declining membership and to donate proceeds from the sale of the property to charities supported by the church. The asking price for the property was listed as $990,000.
The real estate listing for the property described the 10,970-square-foot church at the southwest corner of Peterson and Melvina avenues as a "stunning Mid-Century edifice on beautiful Faith
landscaped grounds." The site includes a 20-space parking lot.
The Faith congregation was formed in 1924, and its membership in recent years totaled 78, according to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Web site.
The parish center at the church was once home to the Chicago Latvian Child Care and Pre-school.
