WEST RIDGE — West Ridge residents will meet Thursday to learn more about a proposal to bring a Hindu temple that would be the first of its kind in Chicago to Devon Avenue.
Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th) is holding a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Croatian Cultural Center, 2845 W. Devon Ave., to discuss plans to renovate a single-story building at 2545 W. Devon Ave. into an ornately detailed temple for the neighborhood's Hindu residents.
The building was formerly occupied by Bank of America until earlier this year when Shree Ganesh Temple of Chicago and Devon Ka Raja, local Hindu religious and community organizations, began using it. The organizations could not immediately be reached for comment.
The new proposal asks to rehabilitate the building and transform it into a more traditional Indian Hindu temple, including a complete overhaul of the facade and adding a pyramid structure on top.
The palace-style Hindu temple would be the first in Chicago, though two other house-style Hindu temples or community centers exist: the International Society for Krishna Consciousness temple in Rogers Park and Shivalya Hindu Cultural Center in River North.
Other major Hindu temples are at least 35 miles away in Chicago suburbs like Aurora, Grayslake and Lemont.
According to the 2010 census, of the roughly 38,000 people who live in West Ridge's 60659 zip code, more than 1,800 Indian residents identified as Hindu.
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