A last-ditch attempt to save church

George is acting as the church's real estate agent for the property — without a commission.

"My idea was to approach the save-the-church group and see if they were interested in just the church building," George said. "They said yes. I went to the developer, and he said, if price is right, yes. I figured I'd be helping if I could get the two sides together to accomplish the save-the-church group's agenda and my current buyer's agenda."

George said the foundation asked for too much land, too much time to finish raising the money and attached too many conditions to its offer.

"I think what they've done to the church and this whole project is criminal," George said. "Several of them have stated their primary objective was to get the Catholic church its money. ... If their primary objective was to get the church its money, why didn't they step aside and let us take the $1.2 million?

"I think they've held the Catholic Church hostage. Had it been an LDS group, the building would have been gone six months ago."

In 2002, the City Council removed a Brigham Young University-owned building that in 1996, along with the Catholic building, was added to the register without the permission of the owners.

George said the developer made a counteroffer striking 26 conditions set by the foundation, but never heard back.

Heal said the counteroffer was for $850,000, which the foundation felt was too much for just the corner property.

"I hope it's true," George said of the new offer of $1.2 million. "I truly do. I hope that's the case and they buy it and they save the building. They still cost us $6,000, $7,000, $8,000 in interest and a lot of grief. The fact it turns out OK doesn't justify the means it took to do it."

The Landmarks Commission sent a letter Monday to the City Council claiming the developer is trying to use the foundation to turn a profit.

"He apparently no longer desires to develop the site, but instead ... (is) offering to sell to the foundation for substantially more than what he would pay by exercising his option. He has used your threat to remove the building from the Landmarks Register to force the non-profit community group to raise additional funds, which they are not able to do."

That is why, the letter said, the group made the back-up offer directly to the diocese on Monday.

The letter argues that the concern of the group and the City Council that the church receives the money it needs has now been met.

Meanwhile, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, sent a letter to the City Council urging members to carefully consider the foundation's proposal.

Heal said the foundation's offer is free of contingencies and that the group will ask the City Council to request a plan from the developer before it releases the church from the register.

That way, the developer couldn't tear down the church and then submit a plan to the City Council with the risk that the council would be unhappy with it.

George just hopes for a resolution as soon as possible.

"I would love to be able to go to mass in a real chapel without a basketball standard hanging over my head," he said.

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E-mail: twalch@desnews.com