Church Completes Mesa Redevelopment Project
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- Опубликовано: 26 июл 2024
- The downtown revitalization project for which The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints broke ground in 2018 is complete - and locals say it’s helping the city find its soul.
“There was a time where the heartbeat was difficult to find in downtown Mesa,” lamented Mesa Mayor John Giles. The Church, which has maintained a strong presence in Mesa for over a century, redeveloped 4.5 acres of land along the Main Street light rail corridor just west of the Mesa Arizona Temple.
“This was a very challenged area,” Mesa Vice Mayor Jenn Duff said.
“It was an eyesore,” recalled local restaurant manager Omar De La Cruz. “Now it’s looking beautiful.”
A new mixed-use community called The Grove on Main has replaced vacant lots and dilapidated buildings near the temple.
So blessed to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I was born and raised in Mesa, my great uncle was a bishop for a ward in the downtown area. Quite frankly, the area was decrepit and falling apart. I'm glad to see that the church has done this for the city. They could've renovated the temple and moved on, but our church leaders actually care about the community and are not simply out to protect their own investments. This was a risky move for them, not many people would've ever considered moving into downtown Mesa, but they took it and it has turned out beautifully. I drove down there a few months ago and I was so incredibly pleased with how this project has turned out.
Thank you to Mayor John Giles and Vice Mayor Jenn Duff for supporting this as well, I met the Mayor just recently when he came to visit the parks & recreation program the city runs, he is a great man (a faithful member as well!).
WOW !!! The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is truly involved in communities, to be of benefit & an inspiration to help all to grow !!!
I love this. What a blessing to be part of this church.
I had the same feeling!
I used to live a walking distance from there. That area used to be very scary and unsafe. It is now very welcoming, even going for walks outside of the temple grounds. It is very nice now.
I grew up just a few miles from downtown. I love to see the development and expansion of such a personally significant place for me and my family. Thank you!
Awesome!!!
It looks amazing. This development is catalyzing a lot of good things in downtown Mesa. Thanks for what you've done here.
Wonderful to protect the area around the sacred temples and also give back and help revitalize the downtown area of Mesa. As the developer said, "Its tough to be the first one." This will create a flourishing area around the temple.
Fantastic project. It's great to see the Church beautifying their surrounding areas and contributing to the community. This will surely serve to stimulate economy in the local area and intrigue into the beautiful Temple.
I love to see this kind of projects coming from the Church. And I'm not surprised they follow such high quality standards and deploy such commitment and care. That's how the Lord's disciples must do it. Kudos for this one.
Awesome! I have family living in Mesa. I’m so happy for them.
It all looks beautiful! What great work the Church is doing !
I love how they implemented mixed use density and transit oriented development to it. Don’t see any of that enough in the USA. Very beautiful
I love our church.
That is really pretty neat. Of course, I'm not surprised to see that kind of high quality coming out of a Church project.
Thank you for all you do!
Wow, that's SO NEAT!! I had no idea!
In a time when affordable housing is harder to find than water in Death Valley, it's nice to see the Church's business offshoot doing things like this!
Disappointed in so much negative criticism of the Church on this from these comments, especially from members. Just goes to show people will always find and focus on the negative, no matter what it is. Sad. This is a win win for everyone! I have rundown parts of my town and I'd love to have this. Win for the citizens of this great town, the workers, local businesses, creating a positive image of the Church obviously. There is no lost money here.
Agreed!
I wish more people would see this news
I shared it!
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints gives back to the community and works hard to make communities better in every way. It's incredible what the Church does.
A beautiful project.
I’ll comment and say that the church is smart in its investments both dollar wise and community. I know there is controversy on this but it’s a smart move from their business side and temple site enhancement.
For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.
38O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies-because of the praise of the world?
I lived walking distance from those developments. Around the temple used to be a very, very, scary and unsafe place. These past few years, the City of Mesa and the Church have done a great job in giving the area a much needed makeover. I cannot emphasize how dangerous that area was. It's become family-friendly again.
Cool. Now do this around every other temple. Especially around ones that need it WAY more
I remember they did this renovation around the Ogden Utah temple, where right across the street from the temple was an adult bookstore and the whole area was run down. It's no longer there, and the area surrounding the temple is beautiful.
So Beautiful and Awesome! Now I wish for one built in or near Vancouver, Wa to Woodland , Washington so we can cut bad Traffic Areas in Portland,Oregon to the Lake Oswego, Oregon Temple!! 🙏🏻
The church has had local people working on this project for at least 20 years. I know of volunteer members buying properties as they became available with the purpose of cleaning up the area and updating homes around the temple. I believe people have donated , not through tithes, but specifically to help with this project.
Amazing.
Nice
Mesa is THE BEST place to live! 🥰
❤️❤️❤️
After decades of attempts to revitalize this area, this one looks promising. I hope this is the one that sticks. The dream of a prospering downtown Mesa might be achievable in my lifetime. I think a real measure of success is if Pioneer Park can be transformed to a safe and family friendly locale. Actually, I’m not entirely sure what the plans are for that park. I hope something is planned if. Ot already underway.
I thought Pioneer Park was doing better? I thought it got a facelift? Is it still a sketchy park?
💗🥳💗
So it was a real estate investment with public work implications as well?
What happened to the Christus statue in the old visitors center?! Huge mistake to take that out.
I think the purpose of demolishing the old visitors center was to give a better view, and more focus, towards the temple.
Moved to the new visitors center?
Definitely how Jesus would want the tithes spent, high end commercial real estate development.
Yep very wise use if the Lord's money.
How do you know it's tithing money?
Amazing project. Too bad Democrat run cities like Portland and Baltimore are visionless. They could use this kind of cooperation.
I don’t think political parties need mentioned
I’ll be the first to say that the Church has a right to do what it wants with its money, but this feels very wrong. Sure this may benefit the city, but what about the people who can’t afford luxury homes and are barely scraping by? It’s definitely a good business decision but the Church isn’t a business and the tithing funds that are dedicated to do the Lord’s work and the sustaining of His kingdom and care for the needy shouldn’t be used for such frivolous and excessive things. Someone said this seems like a Zoramite kind of thing and unfortunately I have to agree.
Sad to see your negative comment. This development blesses the once run down downtown area bringing jobs, those with money living there to grow the economy. As for helping the poor I know people who had major help from the church with food, expenses, employment services, etc. The church helps so many in so many ways.
This project was done by City Creek Reserve, the real estate arm of the Church. I’m sure $0 of this project came from tithing. City Creek has its own finances separate from church and tithing funds. Also, I don’t know the price points, or if these are truly “luxury homes” but as was pointed out in the video the price points were well below what anyone was expecting and occupancy quickly hit 100%.
Improving an area and providing affordable housing doesn't sound like a Zoramite thing at all. There's also a difference between luxury and quality.
I agree. On the other side of the coin, I wonder if they have plans to do this "makeover" in the 3rd world economy where one temple I know is in close proximity to slum areas?
@@temgmcks00 Maybe you can help us understand where's the first investment capital came from if not from tithing? Maybe from the heavens? By the way, it's not my money so don't get me wrong. Just curious about how transparency works in the Lord's Church. No offense meant.
No thanks! Too many homeless drug users in down town Mesa.
For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.
38O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies-because of the praise of the world? -Mormon 8:37-38
Is this some kind of joke? Our church using our money for this?!? Sad times indeed.
It helps the community. Why wouldn’t we help communities? If the Lord directs it, it is a smart way to use the funds, even if you don’t see it. Let’s not be myopic.
@@rachelczumaya2806 What about all the other similar areas in the country? Or the world for that matter?!
@@pamelajessee8011 The Church is not using donated money for this. The Church has businesses and investments also. God's Church is doing many, many wonderful things to bless the world, including many projects throughout the world. If you have a concern with it, ask Him about it.
@@pamelajessee8011 One project at a time...
How about doing something for the homeless in Salt Lake ... Virtue signals remain a lie forever!
This project is minuscule compared to the money and manpower the church is pouring into the welfare arm of the church which directly aids the homeless. Not to mention, one of the best ways to reduce homelessness is to stimulate the economy and create jobs. This project and projects like this do just that.
Implying we do nothing for homeless people is also a lie.
The church helps a lot with Salt lake the problem is that most homeless people have to want the help. I know it depends on how much the Homeless are willing to admit thy are ready to make the change to get off the streets a priority and take back there lives threw over coming the addiction threw consaling wether physical or mental problems and untell that happens
That
There is not much thy can do but pray for them
I am sorry the point is that the church will help you be able to be self reliant ware most homeless do not see help it gives them to grow into a better place
I'm so uncomfortable with the church keeping people out of the temple because of tithing payments, then using the money they recieve to invest in commercial real estate. It feels wrong.
It's important to note that tithing funds are not used for projects like this. If you're interested in sources I would encourage you to look at the city creek project in salt lake City.
I get that, and it may be a difficult answer. However, this was funded by their business and development branch, which is self-funded because, as you know, the church needs to make a profit on these developments.
I get it. If it helps at all, though, tithing's always been used to fund temple projects since the beginning of the church's life. Goes back to D&C 119 in the 1830s and that's how the church does it today.
God has laws. His laws are to bless people.
I totally understand why you would feel that way.
The widows mite is not meant for real estate projects. This is not Christ's way to help the poor.
Correct. This was funded with church owned business profits and those businesses pay taxes like any other business. No tithing money is used for these things.
What about any widows that now have access to affordable housing without living in a slum??
@@ryanclark3967 Thank you for this comment; you're right on!
The church spends upwards of a billion $$$ EVERY YEAR to alleviate suffering. They can't do it all.
So how much did the Church benefit from eminent domain to acquire the property around the temple?
This is an awful "look at how wonderful we are" video. Very Zoramitish.
I don't know Michael why don't you tell us? Or are you making it up?
How much of your statement is researched knowledge and how much of your statement is baseless accusation?
In case you hadn't known, the Mesa Temple was the only building here when it was first built. The housing in the immediate area was built by members long ago, and the community is still heavily pro-church, I can't imagine they would've needed it.
No, it's a "let your light so shine" video. See Matthew 5:16.
I lived in that area. Walking distance. From what that area was, to what it is now....is night and day. The area needed an extreme makeover, and is very lucky to get the investments that it is getting. It is now family friendly again.