Temple adds to Rexburg's economic boom

REXBURG, Idaho — Northbound motorists who exit I-15 at Idaho Falls and head east on U.S. 20 toward Yellowstone National Park have a new landmark to tag along their way.

The Rexburg LDS Temple is the newest in a string of 10 temples — spiritual pearls to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — that dot the landscape close to one of the Intermountain West's most traveled highways.

With names that reflect their geography, they are strung north from Las Vegas to St. George, then clustered through Provo, American Fork (Mt. Timpanogos), South Jordan (Jordan River), Salt Lake City, Bountiful and Ogden, then on to Idaho Falls and Rexburg.

Like many of its counterparts, this one sits on a hill overlooking the valley below like a sturdy general by day and a lighthouse by night.

Capping the northern end of what some have dubbed the "Mormon corridor," the temple — to be dedicated this morning by new LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson — overlooks not only a bustling community of 27,000 that immediately surrounds it, but beyond the city streets to thousands of acres of farmland in the Upper Snake River Valley.

Though it is difficult to predict exactly what the long-term economic impact of a temple will be, major changes are already under way, and city leaders here have an inkling of how this religious landmark could ultimately change the face of their community by looking to the south.

Economic development almost invariably follows the announcement of a new temple in areas heavily populated by Latter-day Saints, with land values in the area rising as developers put up new housing — some of it expensive homes in exclusive neighborhoods — drawing the faithful and their financial resources.

While LDS leaders and members alike tout its spiritual benefits, government and business leaders know there are significant financial benefits that flow into the area once a temple is announced and construction begins.

Donna Benfield, executive director of the Rexburg Area Chamber of Commerce, said roughly 200,000 people attended the temple's monthlong public open house. Though figures have yet to be compiled showing how many were out-of-town visitors as opposed to locals, the economic impact on restaurants, motels and gas stations in town has been huge, she said. Especially during the off-season for tourism.

Motel occupancy rates ranged from 80 to 100 percent in January — unheard of during winter's deep freeze here. "We've seen waits of up to an hour at the restaurants in town. People here are not used to waiting like that."