Church to build 32-story apartment building in Philadelphia?

[NeuroTypical]

Mormons to build 32-story tower near Center City

Anyone heard anything about this?

The private development by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints calls for 258 apartments, 13 townhouses, and retail shops at 16th and Vine Streets.

The meetinghouse will have a chapel, courtyard, multipurpose space, and a center to research genealogy, said Michael Marcheschi, senior real estate manager for the church's national special projects department.

The development, announced Wednesday by Mayor Nutter and church officials, will stand next to the Mormon temple under construction on Vine Street and set for completion in 2016.

Edited February 19, 2014 by Loudmouth_Mormon

[Lakumi]

Do they have policies involving athiests? lol

[Anddenex]

This is the first time I have heard of this...and according to my wife this has been all over the news. Whether or not this is true...I am looking more into it.

[Windseeker]

Looks Awesome!

We saw this here in Fort Lauderdale. They also purchased land surrounding the temple here to develop some equestrian homes. It sounds like a good way to ensure the temple is not sitting in a run down area.

[Jenamarie]

*sigh* This makes me so uncomfortable. WHY is so much money being put into building projects? Why not build a hospital, or some homeless shelters? Yes, I KNOW the church also does humanitarian stuff too, but it seems like a WHOLE lot more $$ is going into NON-humanitarian stuff, and I don't care if it's my tithing money or not, I'd much rather see more $$ going into helping the poor and needy, and the poor and needy don't need shiny new high-rises.

Ever since I walked through the new mall in Salt Lake with "Your Sex Takes Me to Paradise" blaring over the sound system, the business side of the church has made me feel increasingly uncomfortable.

[Lakumi]

*sigh* This makes me so uncomfortable. WHY is so much money being put into building projects? Why not build a hospital, or some homeless shelters? Yes, I KNOW the church also does humanitarian stuff too, but it seems like a WHOLE lot more $$ is going into NON-humanitarian stuff, and I don't care if it's my tithing money or not, I'd much rather see more $$ going into helping the poor and needy, and the poor and needy don't need shiny new high-rises.

Ever since I walked through the new mall in Salt Lake with "Your Sex Takes Me to Paradise" blaring over the sound system, the business side of the church has made me feel increasingly uncomfortable.

poor ain't ever living in those highrises

[Windseeker]

Has the welfare state eliminated poverty?

If the Church took all it's assets and sold them and gave the money to the poor..there would be poor the very next day. As the Savior said they will always be with us.

There is no way in this world, where evil flourishes, for any organization to make a dent or even survive without financial clout. That means not throwing money into a bottomless pit..to put it bluntly.

That mall and that high rise is a symbol to me that this organization is here to stay and that it's influence will continue to make a dent for good.

[Vort]

*sigh* This makes me so uncomfortable. WHY is so much money being put into building projects? Why not build a hospital, or some homeless shelters? Yes, I KNOW the church also does humanitarian stuff too, but it seems like a WHOLE lot more $$ is going into NON-humanitarian stuff, and I don't care if it's my tithing money or not, I'd much rather see more $$ going into helping the poor and needy, and the poor and needy don't need shiny new high-rises.

Ever since I walked through the new mall in Salt Lake with "Your Sex Takes Me to Paradise" blaring over the sound system, the business side of the church has made me feel increasingly uncomfortable.

It's not your tithing in any case. It's God's tithing. Who spends it? That would be God's representatives, those authorized to make such decisions.

If someone is down a hole, you can throw him food, or you can throw him a rope to get out. I will never understand those who insist that throwing food is the only Christian choice and who criticize the Church for throwing a rope.

[Jenamarie]

Where did I say I thought the church ought to throw their money at people? Helping the poor and needy is about so much more than that.

[Roseslipper]

Mormons to build 32-story tower near Center City

Anyone heard anything about this?

Yes I was listening to www.ldsr.com and heard about this. I think it would be awesome to live right where everything is together your church meeting house, the temple....

[Roseslipper]

Looks Awesome!

We saw this here in Fort Lauderdale. They also purchased land surrounding the temple here to develop some equestrian homes. It sounds like a good way to ensure the temple is not sitting in a run down area.

The temples are always placed in good places and usually brings the property value around it up..

[Lakumi]

Yes I was listening to www.ldsr.com and heard about this. I think it would be awesome to live right where everything is together your church meeting house, the temple....

Unless you're not LDS, then that'd be weird

"Look there, that be Lakumi, the only one here who's not a Mormon...strange songs be sung in yonder hold!"

(and no I don't know why I wrote like a pirate)

[LittleWyvern]

If someone is down a hole, you can throw him food, or you can throw him a rope to get out. I will never understand those who insist that throwing food is the only Christian choice and who criticize the Church for throwing a rope.

Yeah, but this is neither food nor a rope.

[Guest]

*sigh* This makes me so uncomfortable. WHY is so much money being put into building projects? Why not build a hospital, or some homeless shelters? Yes, I KNOW the church also does humanitarian stuff too, but it seems like a WHOLE lot more $$ is going into NON-humanitarian stuff, and I don't care if it's my tithing money or not, I'd much rather see more $$ going into helping the poor and needy, and the poor and needy don't need shiny new high-rises.

Ever since I walked through the new mall in Salt Lake with "Your Sex Takes Me to Paradise" blaring over the sound system, the business side of the church has made me feel increasingly uncomfortable.

You're a victim of disproportionate media attention.

"It seems like a whole lot more $$ is going into non-huminatarian stuff" just about sums it up. Because, nobody ever mentions the $$ that the Church spends on their humanitarian efforts. One high-rise in Philadelphia and one mall in Salt-lake sound like super huge $$. But the little $ here and there that the Church spends on humanitarian aid goes un-noticed even when put together it amounts to a WHOLE LOT MORE $. Because, there's no press coverage for it.

Who reported the amount of money the church spent in Typhoon Yolanda? Nobody. Yet it amounts to millions of $. So much so that there was a big stir in Philippine politics on who in the government worked with the Church because other politicians were getting leary of all the $$ going through corrupt government hands. That typhoon was over 6 months ago and until today, Church funds are still pouring through the region. Sure, some of it went to rebuilding old Catholic Churches... but still...

Did anybody report how much $$ that all amounted to? NOBODY. Did anybody care to look it up? Nope. It's easier to report a ginormous high-rise in Philadelphia.

[Roseslipper]

Unless you're not LDS, then that'd be weird

"Look there, that be Lakumi, the only one here who's not a Mormon...strange songs be sung in yonder hold!"

(and no I don't know why I wrote like a pirate)

Their are a lot of families, (homes) around the temples who are not Lds!!! :)

[Vort]

Yeah, but this is neither food nor a rope.

You don't think that building a 32-story apartment complex in Center City Philly is a major investment in the economic and social well-being of the neighborhood? I certainly do.

[Lakumi]

Their are a lot of families, (homes) around the temples who are not Lds!!! :)

Oh I know, I just thought the idea would be funny, heck I wrote a story about it, a neighbourhood of LDS people and 1 family who no one seems to know... posted some of it here... very non threatening.

[Vort]

Where did I say I thought the church ought to throw their money at people?

I inferred it from your words:

"*sigh* This makes me so uncomfortable. WHY is so much money being put into building projects? Why not build a hospital, or some homeless shelters?"

It seemed obvious from what you wrote that you do not consider basic infrastructure investments to be "worthy" for helping poor folks, since such investments are designed to allow people to help themselves. It seemed you were saying that only by providing direct benefit to them (e.g. homeless shelters and hospitals) would the Church be doing actual good.

Many of us would argue that such "charity" does much more long-term harm, and that building infrastructure to allow people to succeed is by far the better path. But in any case, the Church does both.

Perhaps you can explain what you really meant, so that we can see that you were not actually criticizing the Church's decision to invest in important neighborhood infrastructure.

Helping the poor and needy is about so much more than that.

Like, for example...building infrastructure?

Did you think the Church was building a 32-story apartment complex in the Philadelphia Center City area because they thought that was a great investment for maximizing profit?

[Dravin]

It's not your tithing in any case. It's God's tithing. Who spends it? That would be God's representatives, those authorized to make such decisions.

Do we even know how the funding of this thing is going to work? I scanned the article and didn't notice any specifics.

Edited February 20, 2014 by Dravin

[LittleWyvern]

You don't think that building a 32-story apartment complex in Center City Philly is a major investment in the economic and social well-being of the neighborhood? I certainly do.

It's certainly a major investment in the economic and social well-being of real estate agents.

Before you pounce on me for this, I'm not against this development, I just don't understand the rationale behind it.

[Swiper]

You're a victim of disproportionate media attention.

"It seems like a whole lot more $$ is going into non-huminatarian stuff" just about sums it up. Because, nobody ever mentions the $$ that the Church spends on their humanitarian efforts. One high-rise in Philadelphia and one mall in Salt-lake sound like super huge $$. But the little $ here and there that the Church spends on humanitarian aid goes un-noticed even when put together it amounts to a WHOLE LOT MORE $. Because, there's no press coverage for it.

According to the church's fact sheet the total amount spent on Humanitarian Aid from 1985 to 2011 was $1.4 billion. That's an average of about $54 million a year.

http://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/welfare/2011-welfare-services-fact-sheet.pdf

[Just_A_Guy]

Of course, this is only rumor; but I've heard that Philadelphia specifically requested that the Church put some sort of commercial venture there.

Given what I understand of Philly politics, I think it would be right in character for the city fathers to say "nice little temple you're building there. It'd be a shame if anything happened to all your construction permits. Say, you planning on any tax-generating developments for that vacant lot next door"?

Before you pounce on me for this, I'm not against this development, I just don't understand the rationale behind it.

Stimulus, of course.

(Or is it only stimulus when it's done with tax dollars allocated by Democrats? )

Edited February 20, 2014 by Just_A_Guy

[pam]

I posted about this on the lds.net facebook page a few days ago.

[mirkwood]

Jena you are getting beat up a bit here. I will start with saying I understand why you feel the way you do. I think what has happened is you have been slapped in the face by the negative media hype. Anatess made a really good point that is repeatedly ignored in the media: the millions and millions of dollars that go to helping those in need every single year. Wise use of money includes wise investments. Property is almost always a wise investment. As for the music blaring...well, Babylon creeps into every aspect of LDS life. Take a look around you next Sunday at the type of clothing some people choose to wear to church. Yea...Babylon is with us.

[LittleWyvern]

Stimulus, of course.

Well, sure, I understand that this project will stimulate the profits of real estate managers and high-end clothing retailers, but the thing I don't understand is why the Church wants to be in this business anyway. I'm not opposed to them being in this business, but it seems slightly out of character, if nothing else.