Once upon a time, I had a blog. It wasn't a very good blog until TSCC started lurking me about six times a day because I was making fun of the Phila MP.

Anyway, in 2009, I wrote this (I'll try to expand the links):

"_Mormon Leaders Lack Divine Inspiration When Picking Philadelphia Parking Lots_

Hokay, so. We're getting a temple. It was announced in 2008. First it was going to be on Broad Street at a location that is currently a parking lot and a stone's throw away from the Masonic Temple. Cool. Cool.

Well, it turns out that they paid $4M for a parking lot that was less than an acre, and lo and behold, the damned thing was contaminated. So they bought some land on Logan Square (which we all know is really a circle and maybe a potter's field), and well, they bought another parking lot, but this one is 1.6 acres. I have no idea how much the land costs, and well, the deal hasn't been finalized yet. So, who knows when or if that thing is going to be built.

Now don't get all excited about the above picture [SLC Temple]. We're not getting that. If we do get a temple, we're going to get a high-rise temple like this one in Manhattan http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/manhattan/ or this one in Hong Kong http://www.dheinternet.com/images/hong_kong_lds_mormon_temple.jpg. I'm sure that it will jibe with the architecture of the Parkway, the Rodin, the Museum of Natural History (or whatever it's called), the Phila Museum of Art, the Free Library, the Franklin Institute and the Basilica (but those Catholics are gonna be PISSED when they can't find a place to park). Who am I kidding? Those high-rise temples are quite fug.

Some dude named B. Jeffrey Stebar (a bishop in the LDS church, but their idea of a bishop probably isn't quite the same as your idea of a bishop if you're not LDS) is designing the temple. He works for Perkins + Will http://www.perkinswill.com/. Not Perkins and Will, mind you. They're a mathematical equation. Thing is, Perkins + Will doesn't seem to = Stebar, because he's not listed on their site. No matter. They don't have any plans drawn up yet, anyway. [I called the firm and asked for artistic renderings.]

So, yeah. We're getting a temple. Here's the Inquirer article if you'd like a little more info (they closed the comments pretty quickly) [link is now borked].

Cheers!

UPDATE (8/31/11) Thanks to Anonymous's eagle eye or Google search or whatever, we now have a link for Mr. Jeff Stebar. http://www.perkinswill.com/people/jeff.stebar.html Seems like a nice guy, designs stuff for students. Nice. I'll give him a call later. Thanks, Anon, and good luck, Mr. Stebar!"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/2012 12:47AM by Beth.

Is the temple in downtown Philadelphia?

They built a big ole lie
On the top of a parking lot

http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/philadelphia/

We had a thread about it two weeks ago. The Catholics are too busy doing damage control about the pedo priest cover-up to worry about the voodoo palace that supposedly is going up across Vine St. Supposed to open next year, but still doing business as a parking lot as far as I can tell.

May it be a parking lot in perpetuity! Philly needs parking spaces WAY more than an aesthetic monstrosity that will be barely used by the SCADS of Mormons in the area. Most Mo's in this area are imports from Zion or the usual hard-luck cases who convert & go inactive in two months.

W00 EFFIN W00t!

What are you doing 8/3 or 8/4? I can't split without saying yo!

janebond462 is right about the people who would attend there - implants from SLC or hard luck converts who won't stay. Good luck with getting that place filled.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! The STOLEN Barnes was built way faster, and they had to tear down the Youth Study Center first [that was our juvie].

Seriously, they moved/built a museum containing over $6B in impressionist art faster than that fug temple thing.

(Still not happy about the Barnes thing. Never will be.)

It looks like... it looks like... a cold day. And the right one's pierced. And THIS is now my temple district? Uh yeah. Even if I had the desire to pay COB my thousands and drive 20 miles to scrub toilets and re-consecrate everything I have to those who hold Joseph's bogus keys... THIS makes it impossible.

Ben Franklin would have pre-emptively banned Mormonism if he only knew. I bet he's thrilled that will be standing in his city.

I think at the Philly meetup, "christening" that spot should be on the agenda.

this it what it brings to mind

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hartnupj/32358784/

S'up, lulu?

I'm trying to come up with an architectural term for that temple style,

brutalist power plant?

I Rage Against the Machine, dude.

Those two links of temples look horrible. Gaudy!!!

This: http://www.coffeedrome.com/images/juliephtog/Delaware.jpg

and this: http://cache.virtualtourist.com/4/1896359-Cathedral_Basilica_of_Saint_Peter_and_Paul_Philadelphia.jpg

and this: http://www.engin.umich.edu/dept/che/research/linic/images/album/large/Philadelphia.jpg

and this: http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/61/9a/db/rodin-museum-garden-area.jpg

Pfft

Has Mr. GoodBar (er, Stebar) designed a temple before, or is this his first rodeo?

Can we conference-call? I want to listen in on this one ...

:)

if you want to hear people talk about stuff that they want to talk about but shouldn't talk about still they'll talk to you about it, you're in.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/2012 07:33PM by Beth.