Scientology plans Illinois headquarters on Printer's Row - Chicago Tribune28 November 2009, 9:21 am
Church of Scientology plans Illinois headquarters on Printer's Row
Opening of restored 1914 building set for next year
By Manya A. Brachear Tribune reporter
November 29, 2009
Convicted of fraud in France, impugned by former celebrity members and accused of coercing estranged practitioners to stay against their will, the Church of Scientology has encountered a fair share of bad publicity in recent months.
But in Chicago, the religious movement founded by the late science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard appears to be flourishing. Signaling that success are plans for a new seven-story Illinois church headquarters slated to open next year in Chicago's historic Printer's Row.
The restoration of the $4 million red brick edifice at 650 S. Clark St. built in 1914 follows the church's plan of acquiring and restoring historic structures that embody a city's aesthetic.
More than 70 buildings have been acquired around the globe as part of a multimillion dollar expansion program. More than two dozen churches are set to open in the U.S. before the end of next year.
In Chicago, the 50,212 square feet of space will accommodate worship, courses, spiritual counseling known as auditing, community outreach and church administration.
"That's one of the reasons we need such a large space," said the Rev. Jesse Wells, an ordained Scientology minister, "to accommodate all the activities."
Introduced in Illinois in 1974, the church most recently has been housed in the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation -- a storefront on Lincoln Avenue. But Rebecca Cusano, a spokeswoman for the Illinois church, said activities and membership have outgrown the space.
A film room doubles as a chapel for Sunday services. People study for courses in the same bustling room where visitors stop by to learn about the church, volunteer ministers make phone calls and staff conducts business.
Cusano said about 60,000 people have come through the doors of Illinois churches since 1974. In addition to its headquarters in Chicago, the local church has five missions, in Peoria, Champaign, Elgin, Des Plaines and Milwaukee. Hundreds of individuals do home-study courses, Cusano said.
She said the 10 million-member church has grown exponentially since it earned recognition as a religious organization in 1993, and even more so since it unveiled its social betterment programs that include drug rehabilitation and literacy. Designs for the new building devote entire floors for auditing, chapel space and digital displays that will be open to the public.
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