An empty portion of the Mall of India property in Naperville could be renovated as a place for spiritual guidance and ceremonies if the religious institution can secure city approval to operate in an area zoned for a community shopping center.
Sri Veda Dharmashala, a Hindu organization founded by spiritual teacher Acharya, proposes to convert space once used as a Walmart garden center at 776 S. Route 59 in the Fox River Commons Shopping Center.
The Mall of India transformed the Walmart, which closed in 2014, into an indoor commercial development that includes a grocery store, food court, retail establishments, dance studio and day care center.
The zoning variance through which the spiritual center could added will be heard by the Naperville Planning and Zoning Commission at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Naperville Municipal Center.
In documents filed with the city, architect Shilpa Purohit said Sri Veda Dharmashala wants to occupy a 3,090-square-foot area for daily and special prayers and to celebrate rites marking major life events, such as child naming and first feeding, Hindu rituals of initiation, first day of school, wedding anniversaries and milestone birthdays.
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Plans call for a 200-seat prayer/ceremony hall with a deity podium, offices, restrooms, storage room, utility room and cloakroom.
Purohit said the patio will be used as an outdoor seating area before services take place.
The facility would be open from 9 a.m. to noon and 4 to 9 p.m. daily and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. for special events.
About 30 people would occupy the space daily, 70 on the weekends and 150 for special occasions, Purohit said.
Enhancements would include new signs, wall-mounted lighting, entrance improvements and removal of most of the chain link fence that encloses the area.
No change is suggested to the existing on-site parking count, traffic circulation pattern or entry or exits.