Hillside Islamic Center in North New Hyde Park resumes construction

Construction of the $1.4 million Hillside Islamic Center in North New Hyde Park, which was ordered stopped last October when problems were discovered with the steel frame, has resumed.

The center is being built on a 17,000-square-foot parcel at 300 Hillside Ave., the site of another structure purchased by the center in 2005 that was razed to make way for the new building.

Abdul Aziz Bhuiyan, president of the Islamic Center, said "400 or 500" Muslims living in Bellerose, Floral Park, Glen Oaks, Little Neck, Garden City Park, New Hyde Park, Albertson, Searingtown, Roslyn, Manhasset Hills, North Hills and Williston Park are expected to use the new center for activities such as prayer, marriage and funeral services and Quran classes.

The center will include a main floor, where men can pray, a second floor for women's prayer, offices and libraries; and a basement where classes will be held.

"We're happy to get it started again," Bhuiyan said during a recent interview at the site. "We made some changes and some mistakes in the construction."

Glenn Norjen, plan examiner for the Town of North Hempstead's building department, said construction that was started in September 2013 was stopped when inspectors determined the steel frame was not being erected as proposed.

"The process of installation didn't follow the approved plans," Norjen said. "When discrepancies were noticed, it was stopped. It has to be built as it was required to be built."

He confirmed that construction has been allowed to resume and the builder must either replace or reconfigure the steel to meet building department requirements. The project is expected to take a year to complete.

Bhuiyan, a New Hyde Park resident and real estate investor who also owns a Manhattan-based computer software company, said that since construction started on the new facility last year, the center has operated out of a rented storefront space at 271-01 80th Ave., less than a mile north of the new center site.

Asked if there has been any opposition to the center from area residents in light of the new terrorism threats involving extremists such as the Islamic State group, Bhuiyan said, "There have been some issues but nothing major -- we don't think it's anything we won't be able to overcome. We have nothing to do with ISIS here. The center has nothing to do with any other group.

"We're all concerned [about terrorism], like any other citizen," Bhuiyan said.

He said concerns come with any facility that would attract a large number of people, such as the impact on local traffic. "Some concerns we understand, but there has been nothing [significant] with Muslims, Christians and Jews."

Bhuiyan said community outreach efforts are planned so there is no misunderstanding about the center's purpose.

"Our plan is to have open houses for the community to come on our holidays for lunch and dinner and to have an interfaith dialogue once a month," Bhuiyan said.