Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As-Salaamu ‘alaykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuhu.
We pray that you had a productive 9 days of Dhul Hijjah, and we wish you a blessed Eid Mubarak!
We had sent you a report in early May which stated that we had signed a non-binding agreement for the two building campus in Lake Forest. Since then we negotiated and signed a binding Purchase Agreement, placed $1million into a 45 day refundable escrow, did our structural and legal Due Diligence, got verbal approval from the city for the anticipated use, and created layout drawings and 3D renderings for both buildings. In summary, we were ready to enter the non-refundable escrow period and then close the deal.
As the final step we submitted our documents to get the blessing of the Business Park Association where these buildings were located. After discussions and debate, the Association Board rejected our proposed use with reasons ranging from ‘liability due to children riding bicycles in an industrial park’ to ‘we have experienced parking issues with churches in other industrial parks’. Although we had options to argue further with the Association, this would not work long-term due to Architectural Committee approval needed for any modifications to the buildings. In addition, we do not want to be perceived as bad neighbors. As a result, we terminated that agreement and received the refundable $1million last week.
Although this is a step back, we believe Allah (SWT) is guiding us to pursue better alternatives. As a result, we are looking at two additional locations that are both in Lake Forest, with higher levels of parking, immediately available space, and fewer association restrictions. We will pursue these over the course of the next month and send out an update as something specific develops.
We are continuing to raise funds in anticipation of closing on a site this year. Please help us achieve this goal by visiting www.slogicdev.com/rahma to make electronic payments, or mail donations to ‘Rahma Center’ at the address listed in the footer of this document. Any questions should be mailed to office@therahmacenter.org.
We pray that Allah (SWT) guides all of us to do what pleases HIM, and to make this center a source of Rahma for every participant, provider, and recipient. Ameen.
Wa ‘alaykumus-Salaam wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuhu.
Rahma Center Board of Directors