Islamic Center of Jackson Heights to construct new mosque

A Jackson Heights Islamic congregation is planning to demolish its current mosque and replace it with a 3-story house of worship, New York based Jackson heights post reported.

The Islamic Center of Jackson Heights, also known as Masjid Abu Huraira, filed permits to demolish its existing 2-story building at 78-04 31st Ave. Tuesday.

“The center will demolish the current building, which is a residential-style structure, in order to make way for a more traditional mosque that can accommodate the center’s growing congregation,” the news outlet quoted mosque secretary Nobi Hossain as saying.

The report said that the mosque also filed a demolition permit for a 1-story garage on the property.

The newspaper said that the congregation includes many members of the Bangladeshi community. The mosque is near 74th Street in Jackson Heights, which is often referred to as “Little Bangladesh.”

Bangladeshis are one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in New York. In 2015, more than 40,000 lived in Queens compared to about 20,000 in 2009, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

This growth has played a part in the surge in new congregants-resulting in a shortage of space.

People are often forced to pray outside of the mosque during services due to overcrowding, according to Hossain.

“It’s very small,” Hossain was quoted as saying of the current building. “We do not have enough accommodation.”

Many people have also moved to the area to be close to the mosque, Hossain said.

The report said that Hossain was not sure when the mosque will be constructed, but that the project is “in process.”