I used to update this blog three times a week; however, recently I have only updated it once a week due to a lack of time. I hope to continue to work on this blog more often in the future.
Still, I am adding a second post this week because of a long overdue Preservation Update for some recent news items. Let's hop right in!
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The original Murray First Ward is now slated for demolition, along with three other historic buildings in downtown Murray. They were originally protected, but the Murray City Council adopted an ordinance stating that historic buildings could be demolished "if the proposed project would add value to the tax base."
This is extremely disappointing. The building is part of Murray's heritage and history. A local preservation group is trying to build support to save at least the church, if not the other buildings.
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While local groups try to save the Murray First Ward, the community in northern Salt Lake City is celebrating the preservation of the old Salt Lake 24th Ward. Donations totaling $40,000 from the community and businesses have helped transform it to a center for choral music, as well as a home for local dance groups. Kudos to the community for helping to save this building!
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Down in St. George, work continues on the historic tabernacle. Two recent articles--here and here--give more details into the visible changes being made to the building. This includes painting the window frames and front doors red, and the steeple a light green. These were the original colors when the tabernacle was first completed; recently, they were all white.
The clock faces are also being replaced with smaller ones, according to their original size. There's still no timeline on when the construction will be done, but at it's nice to see this historic gem taken care of!
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A local newspaper has published a detailed article (with nice pictures and video) of the El Paso Ward in Texas. You can check it out here.
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Finally, local rumors are apparently so prevalent that the Church's local public affairs representative for St. George has come out saying that there are no current plans for the St. George Temple to be renovated.
I think it'll be a few years before it happens, but I do think the temple will undergo a complete renovation and restoration in the next decade, once the current round of renovations (including the Mesa Temple, which was renovated around the same time as St. George) is complete.
The St George temple had a major renovation about 20+ years ago in the 1990s that lasted several months. They only used workers who had a recommend and did not require a rededication. We got to watch them remove and add the steeple back on by helicopter. I new a fee people at the time that were involved in working on it.
ReplyDeleteI knew a few people at the time that were working on it. I don't like autocorrect sometimes.
DeleteI actually have a picture (somewhere) of the helicopter replacing the old dome! And I believe that's the renovation when they gave each ordinance room a portion of its old mural again.
DeleteThose buildings in Murray will be missed . . . but let's face it, the city of Murray has never let anything stand in the way of more tax money.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem disingenuous to pass an ordinance to protect the buildings, and then add a caveat that the protection doesn't apply if it results in more money (which almost anything would in place of the building). It's really disappointing.
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