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PROVO -- Provo's mayor says a plan by the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to convert the fire-damaged Provo Tabernacle into a temple is a win on all levels for the city.
Church President Thomas S. Monson announced the reconstruction during Saturday morning's session of the church's 181st Semiannual General Conference in Salt Lake City.
"The audible gasp that was there when it was announced, I think (that) is how Provo felt, ‘Wow,'" Mayor John Curtis told KSL's Doug Wright Show on Monday morning.
Curtis expects the new temple, located on University Avenue between Center Street and 100 South, to become a focal point of downtown Provo and draw a "significant" crowd on a daily basis.
When asked about the strain that would put on downtown, he said, "I like the strain. The strain is bodies in our downtown Provo area, and that's what we've been trying to do in so many ways for a long time."
"That's exactly what we're trying to create in our downtown area," he added. "So at all levels, this is a win for the city."
Business leaders also are excited about the plans. Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce President Steven Densely says land owners in the downtown area likely are already starting to re-evaluate future plans. He thinks the temple will increase land value in downtown Provo.
Also, it's anticipated that the extra people downtown could easily lead to a wave of new restaurants and shops nearby.
Curtis pointed out that much care has been put into preserving the remaining bricks of the building, which burned in 2010. No timeline for reconstruction was announced.
In a news release, the Church said since the fire, Church leaders have worked with architects, engineers and historical experts to determine the future of the building. The project will include a complete restoration of the original exterior.
The Church recently acquired additional property near the tabernacle, including the ground where a motel and restaurant were located. The Daily Herald reports an underground parking garage is planned for the corner of 200 South and University Avenue. The city council last week approved the sale of that property.
Mayor Curtis thinks the Church is "pretty well done" with property acquisitions in relation to the tabernacle.
The reconstructed building will be the second temple in Provo and the sixteenth in Utah. This will be the second time the church has converted an historic tabernacle into a temple. The Vernal Utah Temple, which was dedicated in 1997, was constructed within the brick exterior of the 1907 Uintah Stake Tabernacle.
The Provo Tabernacle was originally constructed from 1883 to 1898.
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Written with contributions from Randall Jeppesen.
