Christian group wants church in Elk Grove Village office park

A Christian organization is seeking approval to operate a church within an existing office building in Elk Grove Village.

While the request for a special use permit from Centi Illinois may technically fall within the “church” category under Elk Grove's zoning ordinance, representatives of the group say they only plan to hold a single weekly religious service at 7 p.m. Saturdays at 1550 Higgins Road; they propose to use their two office suites most of the time for weeknight Bible study classes and office space.

The congregation on average numbers 20 to 25 people, with sometimes as many as 40, according to Eimy Zuniga, the group's secretary.

Since Centi began as a missionary organization in Columbia in 1963, it's expanded to 40 countries, with a central office in Miami.

Zuniga said classes and services are held in Spanish. Congregants in the Chicago area are immigrants from Columbia, Argentina, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico.

Centi officials chose to lease space within the Elk Grove office complex, located at the northern end of the village's sprawling business park, instead of a residential area to avoid problems with disturbing neighbors, Zuniga said.

“I hope there won't be opposition,” Zuniga said of an upcoming plan commission public hearing on the special use request. “It's more so a Bible study than a church where traffic could be an impact.”

Officials sought the location in Elk Grove because it is centrally located for members of the congregation, who come from as far as Elgin to attend services and classes.

Centi plans to lease 2,500 square feet of office space but can't sign a lease until the village approves the special use permit, according to Mason Hezner, a sales assistant with Brown Commercial Group, the building manager.

The building's owner approves of the proposed use “as long as it's OK with the village,” Hezner said.

On Tuesday, the village board paved the way for the plan commission public hearing to be held at a date still to be determined. The nine-member commission will then forward a recommendation to the village board, which is tasked with giving final approval.