Important temple strides

Hello, all! Hope you are well. I wanted to post today with news that the Philadelpha Pennsylvania Temple was dedicated today, one day after the most recent anniversary of the signing of the Constitution. As I expected, President Eyring presided at that event. He was accompanied by Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Presidency of the Seventy, who has supervisory responsibilities for the North America Northeast Area and Elders Larry Y. Wilson of the Seventy (who serves as the temple department executive director) and Anthony D. Perkins (who may be an assistant executive director for the temple department).

Additionally, trees and bushes are being placed on the grounds of the Meridian Idaho temple.

Here is an updated list of Church temple progress:

Temple Construction Progress Report (current as of 9/18/16)

Current Temple Status: 152 operating; 

3 scheduled for dedication; 11 under construction; 3 undergoing renovation; 11 announced (As many as 3 groundbreaking announcements may be made soon).

Dedication scheduled:

153. Fort Collins Colorado Temple: Preparing for dedication, scheduled on Sunday October 16, 2016.

154. Star Valley Wyoming Temple: Accepting reservations for public open house, scheduled September 23-October 8; dedication scheduled on Sunday October 30, 2016.

155. Hartford Connecticut Temple: Accepting reservations for public open house scheduled September 30-October 22; dedication scheduled on Sunday November 20, 2016.

Under Construction:

156. Paris France Temple: Stained glass installation underway; entrance landscaping progressing; completion estimated sometime in early-to-mid 2017.

157. Meridian Idaho Temple: Concrete slab in place for monument sign; planting trees and bushes; completion estimated sometime in late 2017.

158. Cedar City Utah Temple: Angel Moroni placed on September 15, 2016; completion estimated sometime in late 2017.

159. Tucson Arizona Temple: Retaining walls in place; pouring concrete parking lot; completion estimated sometime in late 2017.

160. Rome Italy Temple: Interior work underway including some material replacement and rework; completion estimated sometime in the first half of 2018.

161. Concepcion Chile Temple: Pouring walls for base of tower; preparing to attach exterior panels; completion estimated sometime in late 2018.

162. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple: Foundation poured and backfilled; completion estimated sometime between late 2018 and early 2019.

163. Barranquilla Colombia Temple: Foundation walls going up; Elder Renlund visits temple site in August; completion estimated sometime in 2019.

164.  Fortaleza Brazil Temple: Forms and rebar set in anticipation of pouring foundation walls; completion estimated sometime in 2019.

165. Durban South Africa Temple: Sinking piles for foundation and terracing soil; completion estimated sometime in 2019.

166. Lisbon Portugal Temple: Site clearing underway; completion estimated sometime in 2019.

Undergoing Renovation:

8. Idaho Falls Idaho Temple: Closed for renovation; finish work underway; resurfacing and restriping parking lot; rededication estimated sometime during the first quarter of 2017.

20. Jordan River Utah Temple: Closed for renovation; rededication estimated sometime in late 2017.

41. Frankfurt Germany Temple: Closed for renovation; rededication estimated sometime in 2018.

Announced:

167. Arequipa Peru Temple: No groundbreaking date set, however, construction is pending, and, according to the contractor for the project, that construction may begin later this year.

168. Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple: No groundbreaking set. However, construction anticipated to begin late this year or early next year.

169. Winnipeg Manitoba Temple: Approval and permitting phase; temple fireside held September 11, 2016; groundbreaking anticipated for early 2017.

170. Urdaneta Philippines Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

171. Port-au-Prince Haiti Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

172. Bangkok Thailand Temple: Planning and approval phase; awaiting official site announcement.

173. Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

174. Quito Ecuador Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

175. Harare Zimbabwe Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

176. Belem Brazil Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

177. Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple: Planning phase; awaiting official site announcement.

Key:

Bolded numbers and text denote temples whose numbers already exists (for renovations), or is certain due to a scheduled dedication, as well as information that is certain, such as dedication or groundbreaking dates.

Italicized numbers and text denote temples whose numbers may change based on the order in which future dedications and groundbreakings are scheduled.

Underlined numbers and text denote temples whose numbers may change based on progress towards planning, approval, and groundbreaking.

Red text denotes changes from the last posted temple progress update/