
Click here for Greater Long Island newsletters. Click here to download the iPhone app.
The Brookhaven Town Board is expected to set a date today for a planning board public hearing on a proposed new Islamic center in Shirley.
The Islaamic Center of Mastic-Shirley plans to relocate from its current location, a house structure at 503 William Floyd Parkway, to a proposed 10,500-square-foot facility at 510 William Floyd Parkway.
The proposed 1.6-acre site is located on the northeast corner of William Floyd Parkway and Tudor Road and is currently vacant and zoned as A-1 Residential. Under town code, places of worship are permitted in the A-1 district.
The multi-million-dollar project would take about two years to complete. The two-story structure would feature a prayer area with an open ceiling, a male library and a full-size basketball court on the first floor. A female library is planned for the second floor.
The center, which has outgrown its current location, has raised nearly $500,000 in donations toward the new facility, Imam Mehdad Islam, the center’s treasurer and the lead on the project, told Greater Long Island. Islam added the project was expected to cost about $3 million when it was initially proposed, but he anticipates the final price tag will exceed $5 million.
“I am incredibly optimistic about the positive impact this initiative will have on our broader community,” Islam said. “This new center is not just a place of worship. It will serve as a hub for education, outreach and unity—bringing people from all walks of life together in a spirit of mutual respect and collaboration.
“I believe it will foster a stronger, more connected community, offering valuable resources and support to everyone, regardless of background,” he continued. “We are building more than a facility; we are shaping a future of inclusivity, service and growth for all.”
The Islaamic Center of Mastic-Shirley is the easternmost Islamic center on Long Island. Most of the center’s congregants live in the following communities: Shirley, Mastic, Mastic Beach, Patchogue, Bellport, Moriches, Manorville and East Moriches.
This is a developing story. Please check back with Greater Long Island for updates.