Years of fundraising is finally paying off for the Kitchener Muslim community.

On Sunday they announced expansion and renovation plans to the Kitchener Masjid (Muslim Association of Canada) on Victoria Street.

The project will be delivered into two phases all of which will cost $3.5 million.

Phase one is the transformation of the gym which starts later this week. Construction will replace the gym’s existing roof, floors and hvac unit. It’s expected to cost $757,000 and will be complete in late August.

Phase two will focus on a new mosque and community centre for the growing community of more than 15,000 Muslims in Waterloo Region. Construction of phase two will begin once phase one is complete.

“The plan is to transform the mosque to a proper place of worship,” says Mirsad Kaplani, Manager of the Kitchener Masjid.

The project has been in the works since 2013.

While most of the fundraising has come from the Muslim community, the federal government announced on Sunday they will be contributing $197,000 towards the projects from the community infrastructure program.