I've been told by a few members that the church is fighting urban decay. Conditions in inner cities often deteriorate. They don't want the temple to be located in the middle of a cesspool of crime and poverty that tourists and higher income residents avoid. I've been surprised by the number of aggressive beggars I've encountered when visiting downtown Salt Lake in the past.

Urban decay might be a reason to spruce up the area in SLC. I wonder if it's more about bringing in profits. I think tithing might be..well..err..ahh... down ....!

Why a mall and not smaller local shops? Or maybe they don't want temple goers to see the homeless?

How can there possible be beggars in SLC with all the humanitarian aide and good works the lds church does? (roll eyes)

Good point.

I seem to remember someone on the board earlier with incite into the finances of malls suggesting that LDS, Inc. will literally not break even on their investment for 200 years. Doesn't seem like a savvy investment if that's the case, but maybe urban decay is important to warrant the cost for them.

Does it somehow make them disappear?

I have yet heard an explaination that sounds more likey than a simple money laundering scheme. Since when do you START with the most expensive solution to a problem?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/2012 02:49PM by Taddlywog.

I recall one of my architecture professors at the UofU saying something along the lines of(pointing at a site map of a proposed project in downtown SLC):
"They are just as likely to pee on this corner as they are on that one."

Just remember when Salt LAke city built the new homeless shelter a Home less person literally froze to death on the door step.
The building was completed in Nov. Mayor Dee Dee was out of town and held up the opening the new facility because she wanted to capitalize on the situation for a photo op. IN the mean time homeless people were waiting outside the door for the building to open. A cold snap hit before Dee Dee made it back to town for her photo op. A person literally froze to death in front of the closed door.

I dont know about you, but this kind of thing pisses off the Jesus that I know. And if Jesus had a prophet in the latter days that prophet damn sure would have given Mayor Dee Dee a big ear full about the deal, instead of just being concerning about closing the deal to buy up a section of Main street that ran through temple square. But MORmON Jesus is totally OK with this kind of LDS BS and so was his *profit*, Gordon B.S. Hinckley.
My uncle was a high profile white collar type. They live at downtown Salt Lake in their tenth year of a perma mission, as they ignore their huge family that they had at LDS dictate.
They cant afford a condo in the CCC center.

MORmON Jesus must be very happy with his new mall
..... but my Jesus is not so happy about the new CCC mall, like clearing the temple with whips not so happy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIkVNWHT-IA

My question is: who is living in the condos at the mall? If there are GA's who are living in those buildings then it appears to me that the church is cashing out while they can to build a retirement plan for the people at the top.

Okay, but why a shopping mall with high-end condos? Why not a park modeled after NYC? An outdoor oasis in the middle of a city with a performance venue, botanical garden, etc?

Worried about the homeless spoiling it? Then give the Salt Lake Rescue the five million they need to build their transitional housing complex (complete with medical & dental facilities) a few blocks south of their current location?

Salt Lake City could have had its own Central Park, which certainly hasn't hurt New York City any.

I had an interesting conversation with a teen this week. She mentioned she and her friends were going to take the local commuter train to SLC for a day of shopping and eating. I asked if she were going to go to City Creek Center. She said, "NO!" Apparently, security have told people to leave who have tattoos and piercings. She and her friends have neither, but they are skipping City Creek for the bad atmosphere. I don't see how the new mall can make it if they unfriend people like this AND close on Sunday.

So, a retail version of Temple Square? Is there a big Christus statue in the middle of the mall with fountains around?

Exactly! It is much, much cheaper to build and maintain a park than it is to build and maintain a building.

Which is where all the homeless sleep, and has a reputation for so much drug sales, etc. going on that their are cameras installed that the police can monitor/react to anything happening there. All it apparently did (according to residential neighbors) is force the drug deals across the street out of site of the cameras in front of their condos.

caedmon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Okay, but why a shopping mall with high-end
> condos? Why not a park modeled after NYC? An
> outdoor oasis in the middle of a city with a
> performance venue, botanical garden, etc?
>
> Worried about the homeless spoiling it? Then give
> the Salt Lake Rescue the five million they need to
> build their transitional housing complex (complete
> with medical & dental facilities) a few blocks
> south of their current location?

Because MORmONS HATE everybody, including the poor,
other MORmONS, and especially MORmONS that are poor!

If Hinckley had ANY real inclination that he'd have to face god
someday, then Gordon would have had his body burned after his demise and the money spent on his burial used to help the poor instead. MORmONS are PHONY !

a) BECAUSE THEY HAD IT AVAILABLE

b) see A above.

The FAIR blog has a similar explanation:

"Salt Lake City has faced many of the challenges common to cities: upper-income flight to the suburbs, aging infrastructure, an influx of low-income residents with heavier claims on public services, decreased economic vitality, and increased crime. Like many cities, Salt Lake City has sought to attract businesses in order to provide jobs for residents and prevent the degradation of the city environment.

"The Church has shared the city’s concern for economic vitality, both out of concern for the residents’ livelihoods and because of the Church’s downtown Temple Square which attracts thousands of visitors annually. Were Salt Lake City to suffer urban decay, these visitors would be affected."
http://www.fairblog.org/2012/03/30/city-creek-mall/

I wonder what would happen if a nicely dressed middle aged lady with tattoo's on her arms and legs went to the mall.

What if she had on clothing that revealed the garmie lines?

If I ever go to SLC again (doubtful) I'll put that to the test.

I have the very big dis-fortune of living in MORG-dom and recently went to check out the GLORIOUS MONEY CHANGING IN THE TEMPLE ala "City Creek" mall. We went on Sunday...and the place was EMPTY...except the CHEESECAKE FACTORY that had a waiting line forEVER at 11:00 AM on SUNDAY...because they were the only place open.

We enjoyed a lovely LONG ISLAND Ice tea and the waiter told us that the gossip indicates tscc will soon open the mall on SUNDAY because they recognize they are missing out on an INCOME opportunity. (ie the mall gets a percentage of all sales...no sales on SUNDAY = oops no income)

So disregarding all the "don't change money in the temple...don't garner yourselves ...etc. tscc church really is a big money making machine and they don't overlook big opportunities like...making money when people are spending money.

The thing that super turned me OFF was the "lady missionary-ish" sales lady in TIFFANIES who made me feel that "sticky" feeling I always get whenever I go within a block of tmpl sQUARE. The mall just "feeds" into and out of temple square...all entrances feed into the mall. Like...OK you suckers...we got your 10% now go forth and buy, yee, your clothing and your cookware and your food and sit and enjoy it and give us MORE PROFIT for the PROFIT er, I mean PROPHET,, but really I mean the KING OF THE PROFITS