Reader comments
Laie Inn closes; replacement planned near BYU-H, PCC

Anonymous | 4:11 p.m. Nov. 4, 2009

Why is the Mormon church into all these commercial projects. Why can;t they let the private sector provide hotels and motels. It makes me wonder why the tax exempt status when there are so many businesses being operated by the church.

Hawaii mom | 4:36 p.m. Nov. 4, 2009

It will also clean up the area - the current inn is old and an eyesore. To attempt to answer the question posed by the previous commentor, the area is very rural, and the church owns much of the real estate. If the church doesn't develop it, no one will. The current inn is obsolete, and needs to be gone.

oh please | 8:22 p.m. Nov. 4, 2009

Location, location, location: the inn is perfectly set for private enterprise to build this new inn. Only the control freaks want to keep it under the thumb of salt lake.

So obvious to those with good eyes.

Comments continue below

To anonymous @ 4:11 pm | 8:41 p.m. Nov. 4, 2009

In the mid 1960's the Church formed the Deseret Management Corporation which oversees the Church's "business for profit" entities. The Broadcast stations (Bonneville), the Deseret News, Deseret Book, and some others like the Hawaii Reserves DO PAY TAXES ON THEIR BUSINESS OPERATIONS This should answer your tax exempt status question.

The Deseret Management Corp. was formed to separate
Church business that "operate for profit" from the other things of the Church like the chapels, temples, educational institutions, mission homes, etc.

So there is a separation, because others prior to the mid 1960's were asking the same questions as you are now.

Laie Boy | 2:33 p.m. Nov. 5, 2009

My understanding is that the Church is partnering with a hotel developer and will split the revenue. That way the Church retains control of the land but isn't directly involved in the hotel management, etc.

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