The Church has released a few details about the newly announced temples in Philadelphia, Kansas City, Rome, Calgary, and Córdoba Argentina.
Here is what I know:
1. Philadelphia. The Philadelphia temple will be an urban temple on a lot less than one acre, at North Broad and Hamilton-Noble, just four blocks north of City Hall. I served my mission in Philadelphia, and it is exciting that the inner-city members will have easy access to the temple. I hope the Church is able to build more urban temples in the future (it must be awfully expensive, though; the Church purchased this site for about $4 million). Interestingly, the subway will be running practically beneath this temple, and there is a stop that is very close.
I will say, though, that this subway line (orange line) is one of the filthiest lines I have traveled on (unless they’ve improved it recently). There used to be a meeting house on North Broad St. (near Broad and Wyoming) that I attended (renovated from an old Jewish funeral home). I recall sitting on the toilet as the subway went by — I thought that an earthquake was starting or something! There were also a few incidents with rats. I assume that the temple will not have these kinds of problems.
The temple might be visible from the observatory atop the City Hall building (you can visit the observatory for free, but don’t expect to be terribly impressed). I don’t remember much else about this specific location, but I will say that you can expect a real Philadelphia experience by traveling there. It is in the heart of the city, and Philadelphia does not have as neat of a distinction between tourist areas and “ghetto” areas (compared to New York, D.C., Boston, and San Francisco, for example).
There is not yet a design planned for this temple (or for any of the five newly announced temples), although it is expected to have a similar design concept as the Manhattan temple. I imagine it is possible for a meetinghouse and/or church offices to be housed in the same building. I wonder if they might move the mission office (currently in Media, PA) there.
A photograph of the site is here. Apparently it is some kind of parking lot right now.
2. Kansas City. This temple will not be an Independence temple. But it’s not too far away. It will be built in Shoal Creek, Missouri (within Kansas City limits), just west of Liberty Jail (which is a few miles north of Independence).
Shoal Creek is in Clay County, an area where the Saints faced bitter persecution in the late 1830s. At first, though, Clay County residents welcomed the saints, and in so doing were derogatorily called “Jack Mormons” by others. The saints had peace in Clay County for about three years, but as the Church grew in numbers, hostility grew to about the same level as in Jackson County. The Mormons agreed to leave Clay County and settle in the newly formed Caldwell County. (In Caldwell County the saints established Far West and dedicated a new temple site, but before long faced intense persecution, including a barbaric massacre at Haun’s Mill, and were forced to flee the state.) It is worth noting, also, that Clay County was the home of Alexander Doniphan, revered by Mormons for halting orders to execute the Prophet Joseph Smith and others. More details regarding the design and precise location of this temple are forthcoming.
I have less to say about the remaining three temples. The following quotes are from the Church’s temple website. Feel free to comment with more information if you are familiar with these areas.
3. Rome.
The Rome Italy Temple will be built on a portion of a 15-acre site in northeast Rome near the circular road (beltway) that surrounds the city. The picturesque country site sits on the outskirts of the city at a freeway interchange.
You can view photographs of the site here.
4. Calgary.
Elder Richard K. Melchin, Area Seventy in the North America Central Area, reports that the Church has a “beautiful site with a panoramic view of the city” for the newly announced Calgary Alberta Temple. The site, adjacent to the Royal Oak Chapel in northwest Calgary, was purchased about four years ago in anticipation of a temple for Calgary where over 18,000 members in 6 stakes live. Designs for the temple will be drawn over the next six months with completion of the building expected in about three years.
Access to the temple will be greatly facilitated by the recently announced Tuscany/Royal Oak C-Train station. C-Train is Calgary’s light rail transit (LRT), which provides public transportation to various sections of the city. The Tuscany/Royal Oak station will be located within short walking distance of the temple at the intersection of Crowchild Trail and Rocky Ridge Road, which borders the temple site to the west. The station was originally planned to be completed after 2023, but on November 7, 2007, the Calgary City Council approved and funded completion of the station by 2011—the same year the temple is likely to be completed.
Several photographs of the site are available here.
5. Córdoba Argentina.
Argentina’s second temple will be built in the city of Córdoba on the grounds of the Villa Belgrano meetinghouse, next to the Argentina Córdoba Mission home.
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