City council moves to revoke two religious land allocations

The city council will consider a proposal on Thursday to revoke land allocations to the Association of Muslims in Iceland and the Russian Orthodox Church, mbl.is reports.

The Association of Muslims in Iceland was allocated land at Suðurlandsbraut 76 in 2013. The city approved a building permit in 2021 for a two-storey prayer house measuring 677.6 square metres, but construction has not begun.

The Russian Orthodox Church was initially allocated land at Mýrargata 21–23 in 2008. Its development plans made little progress until 2020 to 2022, when the plans were changed, the church was reduced in size and the number of towers was cut from five to two.

Both religious organisations were given three years to begin construction. Einar Þorsteinsson, chair of the city council, said letters were sent to the organisations this summer giving them an opportunity to object to the proposed revocations. No objections were received within the two-week deadline.

“Under the original terms, a three-year deadline was given to begin construction, but no construction has started. There is therefore no reason to leave these plots as they are when the organisations concerned have shown no interest in building,” Þorsteinsson said.

He said the city plans to sell the plots on the open market.