Draper city leaders are hoping the temple will also give the entire Corner Canyon area an economic and aesthetic boost, Keck said. The city is buying open space in the canyon that will set the temple against undeveloped moun- tainside instead of surrounding it with homes.

Keck added that the landscaping and open space around the temple may prompt homeowners to take more pride in the appearance of their own homes.

"The church does everything Class A and we know that's going to be the case here," Keck said. "At first I wasn't even thinking that the temple site in Draper would be an economic development tool. I was thinking more of the prestige of having it in the community."

Being a host to the temple also brings a balance to the prison the city has harbored on its west side for more than 50 years.

"It's an interesting contrast. The prison is a necessary evil; we haven't always had the same sense of pride in that facility," Keck said.

The Draper temple will be the third in Salt Lake Valley along with the Salt Lake Temple and the Jordan River Temple — 10200 S. 1300 West — which was dedicated in 1981. President Gordon B. Hinckley first announced the construction of a new valley temple in the church's October General Conference, saying the facility was needed to relieve overcrowding at the Jordan River Temple.

Utah now has 11 temples from Logan to St. George. There are 130 LDS temples in use, under construction or in the planning stages worldwide.

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E-mail: estewart@desnews.com