From Deseret News archives:

A last-ditch attempt to save church

Published: Tuesday, April 3, 2007 1:08 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
PROVO — A group of preservationists made a major last-ditch effort Monday night to save a Spanish-style Catholic Church building in Provo.

Meanwhile, allegations flew back and forth as the sides prepared for a critical meeting tonight before the Provo City Council.

The nonprofit Historic Provo Preservation Foundation offered $1.2 million directly to the new bishop of the Salt Lake Diocese on Monday night for the empty church building on the corner of 500 West and 200 North, said Tom Heal, the foundation's real estate consultant.

"It's as firm an offer as anybody can make," Heal said. "That is very significant because everybody has been skeptical whether the foundation had the ability to raise the funds."

The offer included a $50,000 check intended as earnest money.

Today is the deadline imposed by the City Council for the foundation to raise enough money to satisfy the Catholic Church.

The church already had an offer from a developer willing to pay $1.2 million contingent on being able to tear down the building and put up condominiums. He can't tear down the church if it stays on the city's landmarks register.

Story continues below
The local parish asked the City Council in February to remove the building from the register. The parish needs the cash to build a new church in Orem.

The St. Francis of Assisi parish moved out of the Provo building seven years ago. Since then, parishioners have worshipped in Orem in a gymnasium they built next to the site where they planned to construct a new church.

The money from the sale of the old church would give them 60 percent of the project's cost, the amount that triggers permission to build in the Catholic Church.

The council refused the request by a 4-3 vote, but it created a 54-day deadline for preservationists to make an offer that would satisfy the church.

The foundation successfully built an organization in that time, spokeswoman Linda Walton said.

"We want to get the money to the Catholic church so they can finish their chapel," she said, "and we want to save the building and turn it into an arts or civic center."

If church rejects the foundation's offer, the foundation plans to ask the City Council for more time when it meets tonight at 7, Walton said.

During the meeting, the council will reconsider the parish's request to remove the building from the register.

The foundation first offered the developer $750,000 for about half of the property, sources on both sides confirmed.

The idea of splitting the property was the idea of Tom George, who was baptized in the old church building in 1936.

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

previousnext

Latest comments

This is hardly surprising. Bennett has a remarkable arrogance which is also...

Real Salt Lake advances to MLS Cup

I guess that is why "they play the game" as Herman Edwards would say.. ...

BYU happy to escape with victory

What was the score of the LSU vs LA tech game? Alot closer than you'd like to...

Has Fedor not said that THIS IS OUR YEAR all year long? Go back and...

This is just a small glimpse of the future with Obamacare: corruption, waste...

TCU plows past Utes, 55-28

I Bleed Blue | 9:44 p.m. Nov. 14, 2009 Wow! What a beat down. The second...

This is another reason soccer is a sad sport, a team that just makes the...

Make sure this is on the front page!! If you insist on mentioning that the U...

TCU plows past Utes, 55-28

I am glad Utah got a lesson in humility today. You were getting obnoxious...

Jazz hope D-Will returns soon

let me level with you..... Greg Miller does not really care what the majority...

Advertisements
Advertisement