Texas officials scrutinize 400-acre project tied to mosque

State Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday expanded his investigation into a proposed master-planned community connected to the East Plano Islamic Center. Paxton said the Community Capital Partners, an entity created by the center, is overseeing the large development, dubbed EPIC City. Paxton’s office this week requested records from city leaders in Plano, Richardson, Wylie, and Josephine for an investigation into whether the development may violate state law.

The attorney general last month issued a Civil Investigative Demand to the developer as part of the investigation, and Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this month halted the project. The developer did not submit the permits needed to begin construction, he said. A dozen state agencies are investigating the center, he added.

Meanwhile, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, last Friday urged U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the center’s plans to build a community for thousands of Muslims. He claimed the project could violate the constitutional rights of non-Muslim Texans by preventing them from living in the development and discriminating against them. Cornyn claimed the community could violate the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibits housing developers from discriminating based on religion, race, or national origin.

What is included in the developer’s plan? The community will include single-family homes, townhomes, multi-family apartments, and senior living options, according to the EPIC City investor plan. The plan also calls for schools and spaces for commerce and recreation. A promotional video shows a large mosque anchoring the development. In his letter, Cornyn suggests the Islamic center could be trying to create an exclusive religious settlement. Community Capital Partners did not immediately respond on Wednesday to WORLD’s request for comment.

What have supporters of the project said? The Council on American-Islamic Relations on Monday sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice saying Cornyn’s call for a federal investigation was baseless. The organization called for a probe of Texas officials for allegedly violating Muslims’ rights. The Islamic center earlier this month hired attorney Dan Cogdell to represent them amid the growing scrutiny. Cogdell claimed the project was a victim of racial profiling.

Dig deeper: Listen to Janie B. Chaney’s report on The World and Everything in It about how Islamic traditions are gaining prominence in the United Kingdom.