Cornucopia

Church Land Buy

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The Church has reportedly just purchased a couple large plots of land in downtown Salt Lake, including “a 10-acre block directly north of the Little America Hotel and another 2- to 3-acre parcel directly north of the Grand America Hotel. The parcels are across from each other on either side of Salt Lake City’s Main Street.”

It currently seems to be just two large parking lots.  The official word is that it’s a long-term investment and the Church has no immediate plans for development. Any idle speculation as to what the Church might use the land for?

SLC Map_cr

34 comments for “Church Land Buy”

  2. Gigantic bball complex. They are going to re-instate the church wide tourney and play all games in the SL Valley at the new bball complex. In order to keep fights from breaking out Q12 members will ref and keep the scoreboard.

    The second lot is for housing the out of state players when tourney time comes.

    Its brilliant I tell you.

  3. Nation’s largest humanitarian aid processing center.

    New MTC.

    Centralized babysitting so that all residents of the Salt Lake Valley can drop their kids off and go to the Temple/ward ball/Enrichment night.

  5. I’ll speculate that they’ll use it as a long term investment. :) I imagine for the time being, they’ll continue to operate the parking lots.

  7. They’re nostalgic for the days when they used to operate a hotel, and are waiting for the time when they can buy Little America.

  8. It’s part of the Church’s sinister plot to take over the parking industry. When the economy recovers from the recession and Salt Lake resumes its rapid development, parking can be expected to become a more and more precious commodity. This purchase will allow LDS leaders to wield ever greater control over everyone who works in downtown Salt Lake, while expanding the Mormon financial empire. Money and power–MWA HA HA!!!

    Isn’t that what’s behind every Church acquisition of real estate?

  11. Since the missionaries already dress like parking attendants (HT: Julie Smith), it’s obvious that this will be a combination parking lot/MTC.

    (On a side rant–isn’t it wonderful what cars to to a city! How lovely are all those parking lots!)

  12. Outdoor dance floor for the restoration of the all-Church MIA dance festivals — doesn’t your Google shot already say “Terrace Ballroom” smack in the middle of that parking lot?

  13. –new scout camp location–surviving urban jungles replaces outdoor camping skills

    –flea market venue for deseret industries

    –giant drive-in movie theater to show church films

  14. It will be a new leadership office building with a secret underground lair for overtly siezing control of the government!

    That, or it will be the first temple ‘sequel’ – the Salt Lake Temple 2!

    /sarcasm =)

  15. Look for a church courthouse to be constructed on this parcel. (Notice the proximity to the state and federal courthouses. And contend no longer with your brethren before the gentiles! Et cetera!)

  17. tea, I thought the same thing! I looked on google maps, and one street over is MLK. No kidding.

  18. What–? You think we can’t be as progressive as the next town?

    (Actually, other than “Main” and “State” and the “Temples,” nobody ever refers to downtown streets other than by their numerical designations. Not even John Stockton Boulevard.)

  19. my question – why the land purchases when we all know Zion will be in Missouri anyway?

  20. A new massive dinner hall where you can invite your friends from church over and tell them about an amazing new business opportunity that you just signed up for. It’s an easy way to get rich quick!

  22. #18–Actually, compared to the big city I’m currently living in, downtown SLC is very progressive. Very cool restaurants, very cool stores. Much more variety and style than most people would think.

  23. #18. With one exception. People sometimes actually do call 300 South by its fake name “Broadway”. I can’t imagine why. Did it use to be the red light district, or something?

  24. Who was John Stockton, and why would you expect him to be singled out Ardis?

    Where do you get the reference numbers? with the new format here I have to count down from the top every time to know what people are talking about.

  25. Eric, Stockton was the Jazz point guard during their heyday. He and Karl Malone have intersecting streets named after them that border the Delta Center…er, Energy Solutions Arena.

    And my idle speculation is that the Church is going to offer to lease the land for a minimal fee, like they do for the land under the Salt Palace and Abravanel Hall ($1/year) to the city so they can build their “cop shop” there instead of next to the library. At least that’s what I’d hope happens.

  26. Ardis:

    You forgot Broadway–which is the official designation of 300 S. (I live on it and the post office seems to prefer Broadway on addresses).

  27. Its probably going to be the Great and Spacious building! Its probably offices for the CES or whatever its called now, and yes I think the the Great and Spacious building and CES are one and the same!

  28. I’ve never been to this site before, but I was preparing lessons for tomorrow and then saw these comments…. provided much needed laughter :)

  29. SLC has a Cesar Chavez boulevard, really?

    Yes, however in practice most people just call it 500 South, which is the traditional name. Same with Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, aka 600 South.

  30. These parcels were previously owned by Earl Holding, the president & CEO of Sinclair Oil and also the owner of the Little America chain of hotels and motels. His vision was to build his own convention center on that property, but with the closing of the Hotel Utah and it’s subsequent transformation into the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, Earl decided that Salt Lake City and Utah still needed a five star hotel and thus was conceived the Grand America Hotel. This the august structure that has been misnamed “Pro-care Landscape” on the aerial map above. The hotel is magnificent and of the caliber that is rarely, if ever, built today. Earl suffered a stroke a while back and I believe that his son has begun to assume the reins of the family businesses. The sale of this property could be a sign that when Earl moves off the scene, the Little/Grand America Hotels could be sold off. This would be a sad end to an incredible legacy. If ever there was a man who could be credited with being Utah’s finest hotelier, it is Earl Holding. His properties are magnificently decorated, impeccably maintained, and conscientiously served by an outstanding staff. When any of my family visits from out of town I always put them up there. After their first visit, they always insist on Little America Hotel. (They hail from cities life Boston and Chicago which have a heritage of great hotels, but are still impressed and in awe.) From what I understand Earl isn’t LDS, but his boyhood and lifelong friend was, and he certainly has honored his late friend and the LDS people by creating a place of warm hospitality for all who visit the “city of the Saints”. Thank you very much, Earl Holding, I hope that we Saints will use this property in a manner that reflects our gratitude to you for all that you have done for Salt Lake City.

  31. They are going to clear the land and plant beautiful gardens and build a pioneer village (a la williamsburg) so the tourists can see what it was like to be a pioneer and on the other side they will have
    more beautiful gardens and park benchs and a band stand for summer concerts.

    either that or a wild animal zoo that is fed by the protestors that stand outside the temple grounds —

  33. I recall Holding being featured in a Church News story a couple of years ago. Wikipedia says he is a “devout” member, and a philanthropist. He also owns the ski resorts at Snowbasin (near Ogden) and Sun Valley, Idaho.

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