All that the MormonChurch has done in its downtown renovations has nothing to do with being a 'Faith Based' initiative, but with cold hard business decisions.

It's in the best interests of any corporation, which the church is, to make sound business decisions. Hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Church's hub also happen to spend a huge amount of money while here in Utah, and the CORPORATION of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is going to make sure as much of those dollars run through its corporate business coffers as possible.

The only difference between the MormonChurch's business holdings and secular independent business holdings is that the former has very deep pockets to work from, that require no real accountability to a body of stockholders (there's only one stock holder in the Church, it's the president).

Even so, you've got to take your hat off to these dudes, they've done it the right way as far as quality and eye appeal are concerned.

Indeed, it's become the Vatican of the West.

Wow, the antis are up early this morning.

Here's a nice article about the church doing something tasteful and environmentally conscious and you have to slander it.

Why does every silver cloud have a black lining to you antis? Why so much hatred?

If the LDS church is taking a more active role in caring for the environment, that is wonderful. It seems that the architect's quote is about right, there is a "notion" of taking care of the environment in the LDS faith. Unfortunately, it is only a notion. The beliefs of the church actually point towards a strong ideology for being good stewards of our planet. Instead, it seems that the church's emphasis on being "industrious", at almost any cost, is the goal. There are on occasion talks on this subject but these are often very ambiguous, general quotes. It seems to me that the lack of respect for the environment, from nuclear and radioactive waste issues to the lack of recycling cans in front of homes along the Wasatch front, is more the norm. I think our church (including individual members) should be seen and should work towards being leaders in the protection of the environment and not necessarily leaders in how to make a fast buck at any expense.

Re:Anonymous; If I may; the Church, as all churches are accountable to God!

It is true, that they made sound judgements, based upon facts, cost, efficiency, and logic. They would
not be very good stewards if they did otherwise.

Wow, Mr./Ms. Anonymous . . . did I sense the grinding of an axe somewhere? The fact is, most individuals and corporations have a variety of motives behind the actions they take. To simply ascribe to the LDS Chuch the least flattering motive for these environmental intitiatives as the ONLY motive is, at best, unfair and, at worst, religious bigotry.

Did I read that correctly?

"good stewards"? I suppose that from an envrionmental standpoint, I can see that, but to spend BILLIONS of dollars that could have gone to educate, heal or house "the least of these" ... wow! I had no idea that Jesus was a real estate investor.

I don't read Anonymous's comments anymore, so I don't know what he had to say on this topic, but something you need to understand about him... He's just a grumpy Californian who is leterally Obsessed with the LDS and Utahns in general for some reason (guess they offended him in a previous life or something). His daily goal in life appears to be to post as many negative comments on this website about them (and neocons) as he can.

So read his comments if you must, but you should take them with a grain of salt, because his mind is a one-way street of negativity when it comes to Utahns and Mormons.

just can't abide any article that casts a favorable light on something they hate.

Such is the case with Anonymous | 9:44 a.m.

The fact that the LDS Church is involved in a project that has drawn praise for anything, is enough to draw the contempt of some like "Anonymous."

The City Creek Center is a wonderful development that will revitalize Salt Lake City and will be enjoyed by millions of people throughtout the coming years.

Like most Utahns, I'm very much looking forward to seeing the finished project.

To: Matt
Obviously to help others the church has to generate revenue. This must have been something that you missed in school. I suspect you don't work and only give out spend BILLIONS of dollars that goes to educate, heal or house "the least of these" ... wow! Thanks for all of your generosity.

The church received "praises"...it loves nothing more than that. To look good in the "eyes of the world," the church will stop at nothing.

How will this project revitalize downtown Salt Lake? In the past fifty years there have been numerous undertakings by the church to make the area nearest the temple more spiffy. If you remember as I do the area under construction in 1960s and 1970s was one of the most blighted parts of "downtown." Most people did there shopping in those pre-mall days on 300 south, then known as Broadway. By 1980 two spankin' new malls went up only too fall under the wrecking ball twenty-five years later. Utah culture means hanging out at home--not downtown. From a redevelopment standpoint, City Creek Center will only be drain on the church's finances 'cause it ain't gonna pay for itself. Just look to the D-news as an example.

This is a really tiring argument that is obviously thinly veiled intolerance attempting to hide behind feigned compassion. Reality check: You cant give away money until you have it. Funny how that works.

This mall will not generate one red cent in funds that will be ever see compassion!

The mall will never even pay for itself.

Just you wait and watch!

History will repeat itself.

Enjoy!

I like how some posting here say that the church should spend the money to feed "the least of these." Isn't it better to give oppertunities to people to feed and cloth themselves and their families, rather than just "give" them what they want? With the Church spending this money on building this mall, how many new jobs will be available for low income families to obtain? I think if we were to look at this from a different perspective, we would realise that what this could do for individuals and families far outweighs the cost.

What's wrong with the church wanting to look good in the public eye?

"Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven."

You must have missed that one in Sunday School.

MATT:

Come homeboy wise up! You know full well that the LDS Church has two separate organizations. The first is the non-profit arm, which does everything it can to take care of the "least of these". All monies given from members for that reason, go to that purpose (100%). Then there is the for-profit arm, which runs businesses to generate money. Those still run to further the stated goals of the church, but are better accomplished through a for profit enterprise. The disappointing part of this is the fact that whatever decision they make, they will be berated for that choice. They have chosen to close on Sundays, but they were then criticized for "pushing their religion" on people. I haven't heard anyone say that it was nice to see an organization chose to do that and give up very large amounts of cash, in order to say true to one of their tenets. Come on Matt, take a deep breath and relax.

What is wrong with the LDS church trying to make the property next to the Salt Lake temple and their church headquarters be a good peice of property? The old property was becomming run down and not desirable to visit anymore. The vatican or any other religious organization would not want the property next to their headquarters to be a run down peice of property.

"You can't be everything to everyone no matter how hard you try."

That's what I always tell myself and people around me. Look. The church could give out $105 million dollars in foreign aid (which it did in 2007) and still look like an abomination to some.

The LDS church could send 27,000 people across 39 different countries to earn an education who otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity because of poverty - which it has by means of the perpetual education fund.

No matter what good the Church does it will always have it's critics.

Hint Anonymous. I-15 or I-80

Why, exactly, is it wrong for the church to do what any conscientious worker would do--build up a healthy nest egg now, so that you can do great things with the interest on it later?

To paraphrase Dave Ramsay, the Church has been "living like nobody else" for the last hundred-odd years so that it can "give like nobody else" in the future. You idiots who would have the Church spend itself into bankruptcy on charitable projects are calling for the death of the goose that gives the golden eggs.

Wow... people complaining about probably the largest private investment in the state ever. Seriously, if you have problems with the LDS church then don't read the deseret news... or don't live in Utah. Get over it.

The LDS church is a good neighbor. I am from Ohio and have lived in Utah for 15 years, and although I am not LDS, I find that my neighbors who are are very good people. Most of my best friends are LDS. I read the Deseret News. I don't complain at all about the LDS church doing amazing things for Salt Lake City and Utah. I don't fully agree with all their beliefs, but I do agree with the way they live their lives and take care of others and their state.

Isn't the City Creek development being done by a private arm of the LDS church? I have read that this project is only being done through private investments not church goers donations.

Why why why is anyone complaining????

Yea, why do people complain about the LDS church so much? I'm not LDS but I think LDS people are the greastest. They're the happiest and nicest people in the world. They all have a special spirit you can feel when you're near them. And all the rude drivers here in Utah are because of the non-LDS people(like me). Last week I was talking to my bisho...er I mean... uh friend, about City Creek Center, and he said if Jesus were alive today and had a couple of billion dollars, this is exactly what he'd do with the money. So quit ragging on those wonderful, perfect, but persecuted Mormons. BTW, did I mention I'm not a Mormon so my defending them means alot?

Ohio Jim, "Bleeding the Beast" seems to be a common hobby in SLC of late, with "the Beast" being the LDS Church. That's the reason the church essentially had to pay twice for Main Street Plaza (whoops! We didn't include the public access easement with that land we sold you? Clumsy us! Hey, just fork over another twenty million bucks and *then* you can use the land the way you had really planned to do it all along!) It's also why the sky bridge brouhaha has gone on for so long, even though nobody batted an eye when the Gateway and Trolley Square requested permission to put up sky bridges that were more visually obtrusive than anything the Church has in mind.

Utah mormons and non mormons are exposed to the corporate structure that is wrapped around the church more than the majority of its members world wide.Non members of the church for the most part are not exposed to the religous structure of the church but the corporate side is very out in the open and subject to any negative comments just like any other corporation would be. I dont take it personal.Salt Lake City needs to maintain its image in this world and if the church feels that they need to invest large sums of money to keep their properties reflecting the very best image possible then the church should do just that.As a non utah mormon I see this as a non issue.

Compared to Detroit, Salt Lake City has never gone through blight and destruction. I live in metro-Detroit. People ask me if I face crime going to Wayne State in the city.

People do not shop in Detroit. They shop in the suburbs. The city's mayor had a plan to tear down 50 blighted commercial buildings. I am not sure how he is going to decide which 50 buildings that have been burned down or have their windows now being the broken glass strewn on the sidewalk he will tear down.

Also, ridership on UTA may not be as high as it could be, but I have an observation. In Utah people gripe about the waste that was evident when they were the only passenger on the bus. Here in Metro-Detroit people gripe about the bus they saw drive by with only one passenger on it.

Is there some implication that this project will fail because Crossroads and the ZCMI center failed? I didn't think the church owned the Crossroads until it was thinking of redeveloping it...and if they owned the ZCMI center all that time, it was the better looking of the two.