CHICAGO -- The windows are boarded-up and there's a "Keep Out" sign in the windowsill. Many in the Printer's Row neighborhood are unaware that the vacant brick building is slated to become Illinois' new welcome center for the Church of Scientology at the end of the year.
The $4-million purchase of the seven-story structure is part of a nationwide push by Scientologists to open a host of new church buildings and draw new members into the faith.
In all, more than two-dozen structures will be remodeled and opened as church buildings in cities such as Chicago, Dallas and Nashville, Tenn., by the end of next year.
"A lot of these new buildings will pick up the piece that was missing [for Scientology], a place where people can come together," said Susan Setta, an associate professor of religious studies at Northeastern University in Boston.
The new buildings also fulfill Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's blueprint for the faith.
"The whole plan is to create churches into an ideal organization, which means they have the ability to service the public," said Rebecca Cusano, a spokeswoman for the Church of Scientology in Illinois.
"Service" in Scientology means providing spiritual counseling, known as "auditing," training counselors, and creating space for people to study and worship. "If we do this everywhere, we can create a world that is calmer," Cusano said. "The aim of Scientology is a world without war and criminals."
Hubbard's essay, "The Ideal Org," outlines the desired physical conditions to practice Scientology, including ideal characteristics of space, freedom, cleanliness and attractiveness, all of which are emulated in the Chicago building's new design.
Hubbard, a science fiction writer, established the first Scientology church in Camden, N.J. in 1954. Scientologists claim to be part of one of the world's fastest-growing religions, and Cusano said there are 10 million Scientologists worldwide; in Illinois, 60,000 have been introduced to the religion since 1974, she said.
Many experts doubt the church's membership numbers, however. According to the American Religious Identification Survey, the number of Scientologists in the U.S. dropped from 55,000 in 2001 to 25,000 in 2008.
In recent months, Scientology has endured defections by Hollywood celebrities, torture accusations in Australia, and a fraud conviction in France. In addition, former members of the faith in the U.S. have come forward saying that they worked long hours for extremely low wages and accusing Scientology's leader, David Miscavige, of violent abuse.
Setta agrees that Scientology is not growing rapidly, noting that religions primarily grow through birth rates rather than converts. "They don't have the things that keep people coming back, like church groups and community involvement," she said.
On Sundays the church holds services, but many Scientologists choose to worship, study the faith, and improve their character through auditing sessions with counselors, on their own schedule.
"Scientology is the religion of knowledge," said the Rev. Jesse Wells, a minister with Chicago's Church of Scientology for 33 years. "Auditing takes you through present and past experiences; it is to raise self-awareness."
Scientologists say the Chicago building will focus on community outreach. Plans include a lobby open to the public that will host educational materials and displays on Hubbard, his religious philosophies and prolific writings; a large chapel will be able to convert into a space for community gatherings.
"[The building of new churches] are an attempt to get a foothold into the religious community," said James Santucci, a professor of religion at California State University, Fullerton. "There has been an effort to ramp up membership, and churches are a way to introduce individuals to L. Ron Hubbard."
Some said the location of the new Scientology center impacts the Printers Row neighborhood by attracting new members.
"It will definitely stand out," said David Pizzoferrato, a resident of the apartment complex next door, Dwight Lofts. "There are not a lot of churches in this area. I don't think it will be a bad thing, but it will definitely affect me. I'm sure a lot of kids [in my building] will join."
Local parishioners, heavily involved in the two-year acquisition process, raised the funds for the new building and scouted the city for the right building. "We wanted to pick something that represented Chicago," said Cusano, "and the opportunity to renovate it back to its original theme."
Others said they thought it would be a positive change for the gentrifying South Loop neighborhood. "I think diversity is good for the community," said Nick Scarpanato, an employee at Pat's Pizza a couple doors down. "If someone invites you to their church, you can say `yes' or you can say `no."'
