Founder’s Corner
SNMC Journey 7: Project 1 – Winning by Open Bid for 3.2 Acres, 3020 Woodroffe Ave
Dr. Emdad Khan
In January 2007, SNMC obtained CRA charity registration and began several major initiatives:
- Commenced fundraising dinners and trips
- Formed a project committee
- Established contact with the city council planning team, real estate team, and Barrhaven city councillor
- Appointed a real estate agent to search for suitable land or buildings
We defined three key criteria for the SNMC project:
a) At least 3 acres of land
b) Zoned for institutional use
c) Easy public access by bus
Our project committee was divided on the priority of a masjid versus a community center. This debate opened a new opportunity: the SNMC team decided we would have both—a community center and a masjid.
Our real estate agent showed us city land at the junction of Claridge and Beatrice, which is now a housing complex. We targeted this land and estimated the cost at $750,000, which we included in our first project flyer. We prepared a presentation and met with the city planning and real estate teams, delivering an impressive proposal. However, they declined our request to purchase, informing us that the land would go to auction and the price would exceed one million dollars.
Meanwhile, we discovered a beautiful 3-acre property at Jockvale Road and Prince of Wales Drive with a large three-story building suitable for a masjid and a large barn for a community center. However, the land was zoned for rural agriculture. Despite attempts to negotiate a zoning change, the city refused. After internal debate, we abandoned the property, even though it offered two buildings on 3 acres for only one million dollars.
In March 2008, the city opened an auction for two lots:
- A 3-acre lot at Claridge and Beatrice
- A 5-acre lot at 3020 Woodroffe Avenue
We heard that both lots were internally marked for other religious groups. Still, we decided to bid for SNMC.
After a night-long discussion following Isha prayers, the SNMC Board of Directors (BOD) agreed to bid $1,333,333 for the Beatrice and Claridge lot and a proportionate amount for the 3020 Woodroffe Avenue lot.
The Jewish community won the bid for the Beatrice and Claridge lot but later abandoned it for their current location. The Christian group, for reasons of price and other disagreements, withdrew from the Woodroffe bid.
Alhamdulillah, just three days after bidding, the city real estate team called us with an unexpected proposal: they offered us 3.2 acres from the 5-acre 3020 Woodroffe Avenue lot at the same price per acre as the Beatrice and Claridge lot. We agreed to accept the 3.2-acre portion instead of the full 5 acres.
The proposal was unofficial, and speculation in the community was high. We remained low-profile to avoid media attention. When contacted by journalists, we responded that, according to SNMC policy, we were not permitted to speak on the matter.
Alhamdulillah, by July 2008, we received official confirmation of the deal and were given until March 2010 to pay $1.5 million, including taxes. At the time, we had only $400,000. The city informed us that, as a registered charity, we would receive a refund of the GST portion.
Since the land had been abandoned for garbage disposal and was suspected to be toxic, we included a clause in the agreement making the purchase contingent on geological and environmental clearance.
In October 2008, Dr. Sajjad Khan of Golden Associates conducted an environmental assessment at a nominal cost of $5,000 and confirmed the land was safe.
We hired a lawyer and signed the final agreement with the city in October 2008. One crucial point we discussed was access from Woodroffe Avenue and the construction of a rear feeder road (now known as Sprint Beauty Road), which the city agreed to.
Our fundraising dinners and trips continued, but they were not enough. Therefore, in March 2010, we produced and released our first project video to the public:
Watch SNMC Project Video
Alhamdulillah, the video was a big hit, receiving over 7,000 views from Ottawa and beyond. It raised more than $100,000 and energized the community, marking a significant step forward in the SNMC project.
As shown in the video, we installed a large SNMC Center and Masjid project sign on Woodroffe Avenue. Unfortunately, within weeks, vandals partially burned and broke the sign. The SNMC team remained calm. Police arrived promptly, and two city councillors issued strong statements of protest. The police increased their presence around SNMC, and the issue was short-lived.
Next phase: Hiring site services contractors and building architects.
