Islamic academy buys former Richardson church for mosque, education hub

An Islamic academy has bought a former Baptist church campus in Richardson after a $3.8 million contract dispute, clearing the way for a mosque and education hub on a property that has long sat in a neighborhood now facing a major change in daily use. The shift will replace a church campus with a mix of school and worship activity, bringing students, families and mosque visitors to a site that once served a single congregation.

The purchase matters in practical terms because the campus will no longer operate as a weekend-only church property. Instead, the academy plans to use it for education and prayer, a change that can alter traffic patterns, parking demand and the rhythm of the surrounding block as school hours and mosque attendance overlap. For nearby residents, the question is not just who owns the land, but how the new use will fit into the existing neighborhood.

The move comes as Muslim institutions in North Texas have been under a sharper spotlight. On July 18, leaders with the Islamic Association of North Texas held an Open Mosque Day at IANT Masjid in Richardson, inviting neighbors into mosques in Richardson and Plano to answer questions, explain Shariah and push back on political rhetoric. The outreach showed how Muslim groups in the region have been trying to make their institutions more visible and less remote to local residents.

That scrutiny has also shown up in court. On March 12, Texas Islamic schools sued the Texas comptroller’s office over exclusion from the state voucher program, and on April 29 a Travis County court said a Texas A&M System agency had to comply with an agreement tied to a Plano-area Muslim development. Together with the Richardson church conversion, the disputes show how school access, land use and religious identity have become recurring issues for Muslim communities across North Texas.