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Going underground — LDS Church asks to buy land under streets

While they are at it, put tracks underground east of Energy Solutions and West of 200 East...

I know it's all been hashed over before, but wouldn't it be interesting if all this money had been used charitably?

Wow! I can't wait until the Rock says something about this...I'll bet he can't resist his internal impulses to put a quietus on this one. Even though this will keep traffic congestion and parking problems to a minimum

Since I do not know what traffic is like in SLC it soud like a bad idea. What !!! you want traffic congestion? Houston took away part of Main Street for their light rail and business suffered. Especialy during the construction. The mayor did not seem to care.

Mark: This portion of SLC has two issues -- commerce has been moving away from it, and there are two massive convention centers there. Traffic is only part of the problem. Where to put the cars after people get out of them is just as serious.

Most major metropolitan areas "go vertical" with all kinds of things. I like thet fact that private capital is being used for this, because it means downtown development and revitalization is not coming at the taxpayer's expense.

How is it that my comment can't be published??? All I was saying is that this will keep parking and traffic congestion at a minimum. But also predicting the Rock's quietus.

Great! This will keep traffic and parking congestion to a minimum...

I hope we are safe to assume rules will be imposed in secret regulating these median ramps so that no one's tender eyes or ears will be exposed to gum chewing, protesting, gay hand-holding, pamphleteering (LDS missionaries excepted), tatoo displaying, talking too loud or any other behavior deemed offensive by the majority, who, after all, made Utah the democratic Eden it is today. And if you don't like it you can leave.

I agree with Mark about the affect this could have on traffic and small businesses. Having recently moved from a city where light rail is going up (Phoenix), I can personally attest to the extremely negative effect construction has on local businesses. However, this seems like a much smaller project, in an area with few small mom and pop companies--the kind that would be truly and irreversibly affected for the worse by this. Even if there were, Temple Square (the largest tourist attraction in Utah) is still nearby to ensure that all small businesses would have a steady flow of interested tourists and visitors.

I say go for it.

Richard G. It is their money, they can do as they wish. When you invest $1 billion plus into something you can make your own rules.

Sam Hofer,

The LDS church's expenditure on welfare and charitable giving massively eclipes what they have spent on downtown revitalization. The Church can do these revitalizations because of it many business investments and income.

Because of the charitable opportunities afforded every member, the LDS church's programs for the needy, indigent, unemployed, and under-employed are vast and extremely active. They are under publicized and perhaps that is the reason you ask this question.

There is much critsism leveled at the LDS Church most of it is done in ignorance and the fact that it is an easy target.

I have been involved at a very "rubber meets the road" level with the charitable arm of the church and I am still amazed at how much is done to assist not only far away needs but the needs of the people right here in our own community. Many of our local assistance programs would be far less effective than they are without the support of the LDS Church.

Thanks for asking!

The Church should stay inside Temple Square. I don't want my city developed by a church, especially the LDS Church. Let them give the money to the city if the city wants to put in subsurface parking.

Thanks grundle, I couldn't have said it better.

Dear Sam: Yes it has been discussed many times. Apparently it is not interesting to you, or you simply do not care, but much of what is going on downtown with the Church making the area beautiful and useful is to protect the integrity of Temple Square. With 5 million people going in and out of Temple Square it needs to be protected from what happens to many cities, inner city collapse. President Hinckley has made that fairly clear before. Having served as a senior missionary at Temple Square it is a very special place and one which has a special place for the Church and the millions of visitors. Daily visitors commented to me how beautiful it is and they are glad to hear that the Church is investing to keep it a vitally beautiful area.

You may want to visit the Humanitarian center and Welfare Square to get a better picture of how much the Church does do for humanitarian good. This doesn't even count the amount of money the local wards contribute through fast offering and is used locally. Yes, they will present the doctrine of the Church in both of these places, but it is up to you what you do with this doctrine.

It seems that some of you would rather have monstrous parking structures, rather than the structures underground and easy access to these structures without closing down many streets.

It is amazing to me that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints does so much good for so many, even those who are not Mormons,just ask who funded most of the renovation cost of the Cathedral of the Madaline a few years ago,to mention only one. And we still have tose people who are so hateful that, if the Church found a cure for cancer and offered it to them, they would refuse the help out of spite. Ask yourself, do say these nasty things because I believe them or because I'm a hateful person who cannot ever look for the good in anything. p.s. Glad you're not my neighbor.

What is preventing the LDS Church from buying the entire city piece-by-piece?

Not to burst your bubble, but this isn't your city. Also, I hate to break it to you but SLC was pretty much a result of the LDS church...I could care less what the church does with this project, but have some sense man. Also, what do you mean the church should stay inside temple square? I think you should stay inside your house with no access to the internet.

Grumble, grumble, grumble...

Any of you who are taking the Church to task for this development will be hypocrites the day you set foot on the City Creek complex, now won't you?

How do you know I am not your neighbor?

JP, before calling it 'your city,' you ought to consider who founded SLC in the first place. The church has much more to do with this area than just a couple of blocks downtown.