An Indian American developer and entrepreneur, along with his family, have gifted eight acres of land to Christian schools in Illinois.
The gift, provided Dec. 26, was given by Puri, a Mumbai native, to Rockford Christian Schools in Rockford, Ill., the town he immigrated to when he was 18 to attend then-Rockford College.
The value of the land is more than $2.7 million and will be used for future expansion of the schools. The plans for the land include a new elementary school, arts center, gymnasium and dormitories for international students with the dream of creating a world class campus, according to a news release.
“The enrichment of this area and education is close to my heart. I was welcomed to Rockford University and embraced by the Rockford community as an international student from India. This land will allow for future growth at Rockford Christian by establishing a site for construction of a new elementary school,” Puri, who founded the Rockford-based multifaceted real estate development firm First Midwest Group in 1983, said in a statement.