Chicago, USA - Like other communities that have faced the prospect of a megachurch in their backyard, residents of the historic South Pullman area of Chicago were divided over plans for a 10,000-seat, $50 million church complex in their neighborhood.
Neighbors sparred at meetings as a small but vocal group fought construction, arguing that the project, planned by Salem Baptist Church, would bring unwelcome traffic, noise and congestion. They also said that church and government officials had ignored their grievances.
But since the complex, called the House of Hope, opened this summer, the predicted problems have not materialized, and even some who had worried have come to see opportunity in this combination worship center and sports arena.
"Change isn't always a bad thing," said Shari Parker, 58, president of the Pullman Civic Organization, who was initially concerned about the complex. "I would love to see anything that would help get the South Side going more."
"Unless something monumentally changes, I just don't see it as a big deal," Ms. Parker said. "That's life in the big city. These things happen."
The project was built on 23 acres next to the Bishop Ford Expressway and has three regulation-size basketball courts, a television studio, 2,000 parking spaces on site and five satellite parking lots where people can catch shuttle buses to the church. The Chicago Bulls have held two training camps for children at the facility, and there are plans to build an ice rink as well.
"To know that God can take an idea and bring it to a reality is overwhelming," said the Rev. James T. Meeks, who started Salem Baptist Church 20 years ago with 200 members.
"If it's the Lord's will," Mr. Meeks said, "then we actually can outgrow this facility."
The church now has more than 22,000 members and has made extensive efforts at outreach, sending Bibles to 30,000 homes and Bibles on tape to 42,000 prison inmates in the state.
At least 7,500 people have attended every Sunday service since the church opened in July, and 200 to 250 new members have joined each week, said Denise Rogers, an assistant to Mr. Meeks.
Mr. Meeks, 49, is also a state senator and is expected to succeed the Rev. Jesse Jackson as leader of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. His congregation includes Mr. Jackson, Representative Jesse L. Jackson Jr. of Illinois and the alderman of Pullman.
Some residents said they thought Mr. Meeks's political influence might have eased the government approval process for the church.
"They had open access at every level of government," said Arthur Pearson, 45, a leader of the Pullman Civic Organization who opposed construction. "The political power that was mounted on his side was extraordinary."
Mr. Pearson said that although the church had not created a huge burden for the community, he feared that could change if the church continues to grow.
Some residents said racial tension might have added to the dispute; the congregation is almost entirely black, and the most vocal opponents have been white.
"From Day 1, we said, we don't care, blue, black, white, orange, green, it just doesn't matter," Mr. Pearson said. "It's the size and scale of the development."
Many people in the neighborhood, which is made up of white, black and Hispanic residents, supported construction because it was on land that was overgrown with weeds, contaminated with asbestos and vacant for more than 20 years.
"That lot that they had taken over was such an eyesore," said Harriette Watson, 43. "I thought it was a good thing to have something new come to the area."
Charles Gregersen, 62, another resident, said the community would benefit from being on good terms with the church. "They cut off their nose to spite their face," he said of the people who opposed construction. "A friendly relationship with someone as prominent as Reverend Meeks could only have helped this community."
In an effort to reach out to the neighborhood, which has about 2,000 residents, church staff members have gone door to door and given out more than 500 refrigerator magnet boards that show two hands shaking and bear the phrases "From Our House to Yours" and "May the Peace of God Rest on Your House."
Mr. Meeks invited community leaders to attend the church's grand opening. He said he wanted the church to be a good neighbor and hoped community members would use the facility.
Some residents said they looked forward to the possible addition of stores or restaurants in the area.
"Those resources are necessary to make a neighborhood convenient and attractive and a better place to live and do business," said Mike Shymanski, 62, who is president of the Historic Pullman Foundation and did not contest the construction.
The neighborhood was founded in 1881 by George M. Pullman, creator of the Pullman Palace Car Company, and was one of the first model industrial towns in the country. The streets are lined with well-preserved row houses, and there is no movie theater or chain grocery store.
"We've gone from a quiet little Victorian corner of the city that would conduct tours on many Sundays to now a very busy area," said Tom Shepherd, 55, who is vice president of the civic organization and who opposed construction. "Were we looking for hotels and concerts and basketball tournaments? No."
Mr. Shepherd said some residents would continue to talk to the church about controlling traffic and noise, although they planned to tone down their opposition. "Where we were at loggerheads before, it's been suggested that we get into a regular dialogue," Mr. Shepherd said. "I think that's the mature way of dealing with things now."
Mr. Meeks said that whatever had happened during the debate was all in the past. "There are times that you do take the bitter and the sweet," he said. "If it will take some people a few more minutes to get home or a few more minutes to leave home on Sunday or Wednesday because of the congestion, it's still a safer neighborhood."