Bills said the church's long-term plans for the property "have not been determined. At present, a third-party contractor operates a reception and catering business in the building."

Kent Wilcox, general manager of Heritage Gardens, which operates a reception center and catering business in the mansion as well as the Carriage Cafe next door, said he hasn't been given notice that his business will be asked to vacate any time soon. But he's not worried. "I understood they would give us 12 months notice," and he doesn't usually book events more than six months in advance, he said.

The location hasn't been nearly as lucrative as he had hoped it would be, Wilcox said, despite the fact that it was a showpiece during the 2002 Winter Olympics because of its location next to the Delta Center. The Chart House restaurant occupied the space until a couple of years before the Olympics, and the adjoining Carriage House used to be a private club, but that also went out of business several years ago.

Wilcox said had he not been able to renegotiate his lease with the LDS Church last year, he would likely have pulled out of the mansion, and he lauded the working relationship he has with it. Once the church opens its educational facilities next year, "we'll see at that point if they have any interest in having us move on."

With a second location in Sandy, "It's not life or death for us. It's not hurting us, but it's not making anybody rich either."

Believed to be the first mansion constructed in Utah, the Devereaux House was the venue early Utah Territorial leaders used to entertain visiting VIPs. It was built in 1857 for William Staines. Portions of the house date to 1855, and in 1865, the home was purchased by Joseph A. Young, and then two years later by William Jennings, who added a large east wing and named the mansion after his family estate in England.

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E-mail: carrie@desnews.com