LDS Temple to Stimulate Provo Redevelopment Plans; V.A. Plans Housing Facility for Homeless Veterans

By Gabriel Circiog, Associate Editor

Deseret News reported the rebuilding of the severely deteriorated LDS Church’s Provo Tabernacle into a temple. Mayor John Curtis said the decision complements decades of work in adition to preserving the building, making it a perfect fit with the downtown redevelopment vision of city officials.

The plan for the downtown’s revitalization includes high-rise offices, newer city facilities and a convention center. With the Center Street facades in a deplorable state, the city has been striving to stimulate local business owners to take action by offering facade renovation grants and waiving building fees. Efforts were also increased to condemn and demolish one shuttered Center Street storefront.

The future new LDS temple is expected to draw a daily, constant stream of patrons and visitors to downtown, which will boost local businesses and implicitly, the local economy.

In other news, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs has announced plans to build a 72-unit housing facility for homeless veterans. The project, which has been called “Valor House,” is aiming to help homeless veterans get back on their feet. Director of the Homeless Veterans Program Al Hernandez estimates Utah has around 330 homeless veterans on any given night. He stated that the goal is to get the veterans housed and into programs that will enable them to move out into the community.

The unit will be located on the V.A. campus in Salt Lake City and will also offer support services such as mental health and substance abuse counseling, medical treatment and job placement.