DRAPER — A new LDS temple — the third to be built in the Salt Lake Valley — is planned for the foothills near Corner Canyon.
The temple's location was announced Sunday in a letter read to church members in south Salt Lake Valley wards from the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Draper Mayor Darrell H. Smith said the address of the new temple will be roughly 2000 East and 14000 South.
During General Conference in October, President Gordon B. Hinckley announced that two new temples would be built, one in Twin Falls, Idaho, and the other in the Salt Lake Valley.
Speculation began within days of the announcement that Draper's Corner Canyon area would be the site of the new temple.
As early as Oct. 6, Draper city manager Eric Keck said he thought it likely the temple would be in Draper, which is 60 percent LDS. The church had purchased a 12-acre plot in the neighborhood on a hill overlooking the canyon.
In an earlier interview with the Deseret Morning News, Keck said, "When the church was acquiring property they had no bones about telling the developer that they were buying the property for a temple site."
A new stake center is under construction nearby, leaving 10 acres open for the new temple site. There was no word of when the temple's construction would begin.
The area around the new site is being developed. It's mostly residential, Smith said, with large houses that have been under construction since the beginning of summer.
He called the news exciting.
"We look forward to working with them and helping the project along," he said. "We're all pleased to know — after all the speculation and rumors over (it)."
Smith said he didn't know for sure the temple's location until it was announced Sunday.
The mayor expects the city will have to issue additional building permits for construction of a temple that most likely will be much larger than the stake center.
"I'm sure they'll have shared parking as they complete the project," Smith said.
Smith said no LDS Church officials had talked to him about a temple, but he expects such a conversation will take place soon.
It has been 23 years since the last LDS temple was built in the Salt Lake Valley. The Jordan River Temple, 10200 S. 1300 West in South Jordan, was dedicated in November 1981. This will be the third temple in the Salt Lake Valley, including the Salt Lake Temple.
In announcing the construction of a third temple in the Salt Lake area, President Hinckley said it is needed because temple attendance is so high.
Utah now has 11 temples, from Logan to St. George. There are currently 130 LDS temples either in use, under construction or in the planning stages worldwide.
Contributing: Lois M. Collins
E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com