26-213 : 75 East Parade Avenue - Designate the Masjid Daru-s Salaam as a local landmark.

This item seeks to designate the Masjid Daru-s Salaam at 75 East Parade Avenue as a local landmark. Established in 1984 and operating as a permanent house of worship at this location since 1986, it is one of Buffalo's oldest African American mosques and has been instrumental in the growth of the Black Muslim community in Western New York.

Key Significance:

• Founder's Legacy: The mosque was founded by Imam Haamid A. Azeem, who served as its resident imam until his passing in 2011. He was a prominent local leader and one of the first Muslim chaplains in Western New York prisons (1987-1996), significantly aiding formerly incarcerated individuals through his nonprofit, Offender Aid and Restoration (OAR).
• "House-Mosque" Typology: The building, originally an 1875 double-family house, exemplifies a common "house-mosque" architectural style. This adaptation reflects how new religious communities, often with limited capital, repurposed existing housing stock in disinvested neighborhoods like Buffalo's East Side, rather than commissioning new monumental structures.
• Community Anchor: Located across from Martin Luther King Jr. Park, the mosque has served as a vital neighborhood center for prayer, education, and community support, hosting prominent figures and growing from 50 to over 100 families by the early 2000s.