Church's newest high-rise to break ground

[rockpond]

The Church, through it's non-profit City Creek Reserve Inc, announced that it will start construction this month on "95 State at City Creek".  The class-A office tower will be the third tallest in SLC.  But what's cool about this property is that it will have 39,000 SF of church meetinghouse space with it's own entrance.  Seems like a really unique place to attend church each Sunday.

Details here:  https://kjzz.com/news/local/construction-on-new-lds-owned-office-tower-in-slc-set-to-begin

[Scott Lloyd]

14 minutes ago, rockpond said:

The Church, through it's non-profit City Creek Reserve Inc, announced that it will start construction this month on "95 State at City Creek".  The class-A office tower will be the third tallest in SLC.  But what's cool about this property is that it will have 39,000 SF of church meetinghouse space with it's own entrance.  Seems like a really unique place to attend church each Sunday.

Details here:  https://kjzz.com/news/local/construction-on-new-lds-owned-office-tower-in-slc-set-to-begin

Looks like it will be a fine development for downtown. I’d be interested to know more aloud utilization of the Church meetinghouse space in the tower. Will it accommodate one or more downtown wards? 

Few if any will recall this, but when the City Creek project was in the works, some of the antagonistic pundits were forecasting it would be a bust economically. At this juncture, I would say: So much for false prophecies. 

Edited April 25, 2019 by Scott Lloyd

[HappyJackWagon]

7 minutes ago, rockpond said:

The Church, through it's non-profit City Creek Reserve Inc, announced that it will start construction this month on "95 State at City Creek".  The class-A office tower will be the third tallest in SLC.  But what's cool about this property is that it will have 39,000 SF of church meetinghouse space with it's own entrance.  Seems like a really unique place to attend church each Sunday.

Details here:  https://kjzz.com/news/local/construction-on-new-lds-owned-office-tower-in-slc-set-to-begin

I guess downtown SLC is in need of significant space for church. I can see that.

I was recently at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and thought, "Wow. What a unique and lavish place to attend church".

The chapel is incredible. Very ornate and beautiful.

I hear criticisms of City Creek mall, and about how ornate temples are etc, but I'm curious about what people think of buildings like the JS Mem Building. Beautiful building but VERY ostentatious. Senior couples are assigned to serve there as missionary guides and hosts/hostesses for the building that has a very nice restaurant, among other things. It's definitely a mixed use building, with some commercial and some religious uses. On one hand, it seems like an odd use of "missionaries" but on the other hand it really is a jewel of a building.

[CA Steve]

 I can just imagine the well-to-do people occupying the top floors enjoying the view and pointing out the sights and people below to each other. At 28 stories and with nearly 500,000 square feet and a stunning design, it really is a great looking and spacious office building.

[HappyJackWagon]

1 minute ago, Scott Lloyd said:

Looks like it will be a fine development for downtown. I’d be interested to know more aloud utilization of the Church meetinghouse space in the tower. Will it accommodate one or more downtown wards? 

Few if any will recall this, but when the City Creek project was in the works, some of the antagonistic pundits were forecasting it would be a bust economically. At this juncture, I would say: So much for false prophecies. 

I'm sure you're right, but I don't personally recall anyone stating the mall would fail. The criticism I recall is about the use of church funds for commercial enterprise, not necessarily that it wouldn't be a successful enterprise.

Seems more like an incorrect prediction, than a "false prophesy".

[rockpond]

4 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

Looks like it will be a fine development for downtown. I’d be interested to know more aloud utilization of the Church meetinghouse space in the tower. Will it accommodate one or more downtown wards? 

My local meetinghouse (typical style, built in 2004) is 16,000 SF and accommodates four wards (with the new 2-hour change).  Our local stake center is approximately 25,000 SF.

The article identifies the meetinghouse space in the building as 39,000 SF.  So, it would seem to be the equivalent of one ward building and one stake center.  I'd guess you're looking at 7-8 wards.

[rockpond]

9 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

Few if any will recall this, but when the City Creek project was in the works, some of the antagonistic pundits were forecasting it would be a bust economically. At this juncture, I would say: So much for false prophecies. 

Unless/until financials are released for City Creek, the jury is still out on its success.  Having a fully leased property is not the same as being profitable.

[bluebell]

25 minutes ago, HappyJackWagon said:

I guess downtown SLC is in need of significant space for church. I can see that.

I was recently at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and thought, "Wow. What a unique and lavish place to attend church".

The chapel is incredible. Very ornate and beautiful.

I hear criticisms of City Creek mall, and about how ornate temples are etc, but I'm curious about what people think of buildings like the JS Mem Building. Beautiful building but VERY ostentatious. Senior couples are assigned to serve there as missionary guides and hosts/hostesses for the building that has a very nice restaurant, among other things. It's definitely a mixed use building, with some commercial and some religious uses. On one hand, it seems like an odd use of "missionaries" but on the other hand it really is a jewel of a building.

I remember going into it when it was still the Hotel Utah.  It looked the same (just beautiful), so I think the grandeur of it is a bit of a historical issue.  I heard that at first (when it went out of business) the church was going to tear it down but that the city wouldn't let them because of it's historical status.  I have no idea if that's true though.  

I think the missionaries that serve in the building mostly handle the family history center and the Legacy theater, don't they?  When my grandmother was serving her mission in the Family History Center there the JSMB chapel was where she attended church each Sunday.  She said it was quite the experience.

[SouthernMo]

31 minutes ago, CA Steve said:

 I can just imagine the well-to-do people occupying the top floors enjoying the view and pointing out the sights and people below to each other. At 28 stories and with nearly 500,000 square feet and a stunning design, it really is a great looking and spacious office building.

Just think of Christmas time when they see the trees on temple square lit up with the whitest lights!  They’ll see people inviting their families to come see and partake of the goodness of those lights.

[Prof]

32 minutes ago, HappyJackWagon said:

I was recently at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and thought, "Wow. What a unique and lavish place to attend church".

The chapel is incredible. Very ornate and beautiful.

I hear criticisms of City Creek mall, and about how ornate temples are etc, but I'm curious about what people think of buildings like the JS Mem Building. Beautiful building but VERY ostentatious. Senior couples are assigned to serve there as missionary guides and hosts/hostesses for the building that has a very nice restaurant, among other things. It's definitely a mixed use building, with some commercial and some religious uses. On one hand, it seems like an odd use of "missionaries" but on the other hand it really is a jewel of a building.

I visited there last year and thought the same! Beautiful chapel. Nice organ!

Not sure what they had in terms of rooms for primary, scouts, pitch-ins..... but the chapel was awesome!

[USU78]

6 minutes ago, bluebell said:

I remember going into it when it was still the Hotel Utah.  It looked the same (just beautiful), so I think the grandeur of it is a bit of a historical issue.  I heard that at first (when it went out of business) the church was going to tear it down but that the city wouldn't let them because of it's historical status.  I have no idea if that's true though.  

I think the missionaries that serve in the building mostly handle the family history center and the Legacy theater, don't they?  When my grandmother was serving her mission in the Family History Center there the JSMB chapel was where she attended church each Sunday.  She said it was quite the experience.

I'm having trouble understanding why anyone would do anything but applaud the Church for picking up the Hotel Utah, at the time out of business and more than showing its age, renovating, and repurposing it for Church use, while maintaining its open to the public character.

[bluebell]

1 minute ago, USU78 said:

I'm having trouble understanding why anyone would do anything but applaud the Church for picking up the Hotel Utah, at the time out of business and more than showing its age, renovating, and repurposing it for Church use, while maintaining its open to the public character.

I agree.  I find great value in saving our history, something that the US is not very good at.  Our seemingly unending resources as caused a culture of 'tear down and build something new' that I hate.

[RevTestament]

2 hours ago, bluebell said:

I remember going into it when it was still the Hotel Utah.  It looked the same (just beautiful), so I think the grandeur of it is a bit of a historical issue.  I heard that at first (when it went out of business) the church was going to tear it down but that the city wouldn't let them because of it's historical status.  I have no idea if that's true though.  

I think the missionaries that serve in the building mostly handle the family history center and the Legacy theater, don't they?  When my grandmother was serving her mission in the Family History Center there the JSMB chapel was where she attended church each Sunday.  She said it was quite the experience.

I didn't realize the Church bought that. I just assumed from the name that the Church had built it. Gosh, that would have been a shame to tear it down, because the building is beautiful, and I am glad the Church has restored it so beautifully. Hopefully, it will be able to withstand a significant earthquake although I'm sure the same concern arises for many older buildings downtown. I also didn't realize they have regular Church services there. I suppose that is not going to change with the advent of this new ward space planned only 2-3 blocks away, because I think the idea is to serve people in new downtown apartments and condos.

[Scott Lloyd]

3 hours ago, HappyJackWagon said:

I'm sure you're right, but I don't personally recall anyone stating the mall would fail. The criticism I recall is about the use of church funds for commercial enterprise, not necessarily that it wouldn't be a successful enterprise.

Seems more like an incorrect prediction, than a "false prophesy".

There’s been that of course. But there was also gleeful prognostication that it would not succeed. That you don’t recall it doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen. 

As far as “false prophecy,” if you can’t recognize and tolerate teasing hyperbole, you’re being too intense. 

[Scott Lloyd]

2 hours ago, rockpond said:

Unless/until financials are released for City Creek, the jury is still out on its success.  Having a fully leased property is not the same as being profitable.

So until the books are opened to your gaze, you’ll continue to harbor the fantasy that the Church is propping up a failing billion-dollar enterprise. It has been several years now; one wonders how long you can continue that. 

[Scott Lloyd]

32 minutes ago, RevTestament said:

I didn't realize the Church bought that. I just assumed from the name that the Church had built it. Gosh, that would have been a shame to tear it down, because the building is beautiful, and I am glad the Church has restored it so beautifully. Hopefully, it will be able to withstand a significant earthquake although I'm sure the same concern arises for many older buildings downtown. I also didn't realize they have regular Church services there. I suppose that is not going to change with the advent of this new ward space planned only 2-3 blocks away, because I think the idea is to serve people in new downtown apartments and condos.

The Church didn’t buy it. The Church has owned it from the beginning. 

[Scott Lloyd]

2 hours ago, Prof said:

I visited there last year and thought the same! Beautiful chapel. Nice organ!

Not sure what they had in terms of rooms for primary, scouts, pitch-ins..... but the chapel was awesome!

My understanding is the chapel serves ward(s) with older members who don’t need Scout rooms, Primary/Young Women rooms, basketball hoops and such. 

[RevTestament]

1 hour ago, Scott Lloyd said:

The Church didn’t buy it. The Church has owned it from the beginning. 

Thanks. I am showing my ignorance of Church history. So the Church built it as a hotel?

[Scott Lloyd]

8 minutes ago, RevTestament said:

Thanks. I am showing my ignorance of Church history. So the Church built it as a hotel?

Yes. The grandest hotel in the state at that time. 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.deseretnews.com/article/700142277/Hotel-Utah-100-years-of-history.amp

Edited April 25, 2019 by Scott Lloyd

[Wade Englund]

5 hours ago, HappyJackWagon said:

I guess downtown SLC is in need of significant space for church. I can see that.

I was recently at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and thought, "Wow. What a unique and lavish place to attend church".

The chapel is incredible. Very ornate and beautiful.

I hear criticisms of City Creek mall, and about how ornate temples are etc, but I'm curious about what people think of buildings like the JS Mem Building. Beautiful building but VERY ostentatious. Senior couples are assigned to serve there as missionary guides and hosts/hostesses for the building that has a very nice restaurant, among other things. It's definitely a mixed use building, with some commercial and some religious uses. On one hand, it seems like an odd use of "missionaries" but on the other hand it really is a jewel of a building.

If I recall correctly, it used to be the Hotel Utah, which is where the ornate and seemingly ostentatious design originated.

My brother is the bishop of one of the Wards meeting there, and, understandably, the meetings are generally packed. So, it doesn't surprise me that the Church is building additional meeting space several blocks away.

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

[rockpond]

2 hours ago, Scott Lloyd said:

So until the books are opened to your gaze, you’ll continue to harbor the fantasy that the Church is propping up a failing billion-dollar enterprise. It has been several years now; one wonders how long you can continue that. 

I have no idea if the church is "propping up a failing billion-dollar enterprise" and I certainly don't harbor such a fantasy.  That would be ridiculous.

My point was that we can't comment on its success because we don't have any data to support such a conclusion.

[Jeanne]

Quote

 

When I saw the title of this thread..I was so excited I could hardly contain myself...yes...this is what the church needs!!😟

[JAHS]

6 hours ago, rockpond said:

My local meetinghouse (typical style, built in 2004) is 16,000 SF and accommodates four wards (with the new 2-hour change).  Our local stake center is approximately 25,000 SF.

The article identifies the meetinghouse space in the building as 39,000 SF.  So, it would seem to be the equivalent of one ward building and one stake center.  I'd guess you're looking at 7-8 wards.

Hope there's enough parking for all those cars.

[Scott Lloyd]

37 minutes ago, rockpond said:

I have no idea if the church is "propping up a failing billion-dollar enterprise" and I certainly don't harbor such a fantasy.  That would be ridiculous.

My point was that we can't comment on its success because we don't have any data to support such a conclusion.

I think we can draw a reasonable inference from observation that it has remained in business, apparently prosperous, after this long and that it is taking on further major development in the form of this office building. That’s not the behavior of management that is struggling. 

[Calm]

8 minutes ago, JAHS said:

Hope there's enough parking for all those cars.

Won't need cars, most likely.