Hello again, everyone! Minutes ago, the First Presidency confirmed the site locations for 2 more temples: the Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple (originally announced in April 2018) and the Birmingham England Temple (originally announced in April 2022). Let's get into the details: The Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple will rise on a 4.9-acre site at Lot 2163-c and Lot 2163-d Rosario Limketkai Avenue, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis.
The two-story temple is estimated to be an edifice of approximately 18,449 square feet. An adjacent ancillary building will include patron housing, a distribution center, and a patron arrival center. As I mentioned previously, a candidate temple site is being cleared, so I assume it is the same site that was confirmed today. If so, we will likely see a groundbreaking annoouncement sooner rather than later.
As for the Birmingham England Temple, the single-story edifice of 10,800 square feet will include both patron housing and a patron arrival center. The temple will rise on a 2.7-acre site at 185-187 Penns Lane, Sutton, Coldfield, Birmingham, England, with the other buildings adjacent to that. Project leaders will work with the government to secure the necessary approvals.
As a result of today's updates, here are the updated sections of my temple construction progress report, with today's updates set to be included in my final temple construction update for 2023. And 48 of the 96 announced temples have not had official information confirmed. I was somewhat surprised that no other temple dedications were announced today, but maybe the Church is holding off on that for the rest of the year.
It's also worth noting that, with Christmas Day next Monday and New Year's Day the Monday after that, I don't know if this will be the final major temple construction update for 2023 or if the Church will switch the announcement day to Tuesday for the next couple of weeks. Whatever might happen in that regard, I will be sure to provide analysis on any other announcements that are made in 2023.
I continue to monitor any and all Church News, Newsroom, and Church of Jesus Christ Temples updates and will be sure to pass word of those along to you all as they cross my radar. In the meantime, that does it for now. All comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated on any post at any time, as long as the offered feedback is made per the established guidelines.
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I'm honestly a little shocked that there are now 48 temples with sites announced, and only one (Knoxville Tenessee) has a groundbreaking date heading into the final week of 2023. Are we going to see another year with dozens of site announcements and minimal groundbreakings? Or will we see the largest construction boom the Church has ever seen? There were 32 groundbreakings in 1999, the current record for the most in a year. As of tomorrow, there will be 19 temples that had their sites announced over a year ago that have not had groundbreakings scheduled.
ReplyDeleteNoah, only one groundbreaking has been announced for 2024 thus far. I'm sure we have no idea how many groundbreakings are actually planned for next year. The Church Temples site has confirmed that the site announced for the Cagayan de Oro Philippines Temple today is the same site that is currently being cleared in preparation for construction. So that temple could be fast-tracked.
DeleteThe same is true for the Vitoria Brazil and Charlotte North Carolina Temples, both of which are having sites cleared as I write this. None of these three temples have exterior renderings released yet. But that could change relatively early in 2024. In addition to those 3, there are 11 others with sites announced and a rendering released. While the Teton River Idaho Temple lacks a rendering, I have it and the other 14 temples to which I referred listed as the 15 total that are almost certainly a lock for a groundbreaking next year.
I am also tracking developments on 11 other temples that have not yet had a rendering released. Each of those 11 (and potentially more) may also be a lock for groundbreakings in 2024. At this point, I'm not unduly concerned that only one groundbreaking has been announced for 2024. I believe we will see several days in 2024 on which multiple temples will have a groundbreaking. And although the first half of 2024 may yield a small number of temple dedications and groundbreakings, when we saw the 21 groundbreakings in 2020, most of those occurred in the last 5 months of that year.
So I wouldn't read too much into the fact that only one temple groundbreaking has been scheduled for 2024 thus far. Following the Christmas and New Year's holidays, I have a strong feeling temple announcements will pick up for dedications, groundbreakings, exterior renderings, and site confirmations. Hope these observations (such as they are) are helpful to you. Thanks, Noah, for taking time to comment. I appreciate hearing from you.
For any who may be interested, the Church News also covered this update. My thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteOn this Tuesday, the Church News shared a new article about the Giving Machines and a look back at times when Church leaders referenced "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe latest edition of the Church News podcast has been shared. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Wednesday, the Newsroom has shared 3 new reports, one from the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and a worldwide update on the Giving Machines, with the Church News also covering that update. Elder Mark A. Bragg, a General Authority Seventy who presides over the North America West Area, dedicated a replica cabin 175 years after gold was discovered there. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteThe Newsroom has shared one new report. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Thursday, the Church News shared their coverage of the Newsroom item I posted in my last comment above. The Church News also shared the contrast between what parents and kids say about how kids use social media. And BYU-Provo's Winter 2024 devotional schedule has been released. That schedule includes two members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (Elders David A. Bednar and Dale G. Renlund) and four GA Seventies/General Officers (Elders K. Brett Nattress, Evan A. Schmutz, and Brian K. Taylor and Brother Jan E. Newman, Second Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency). My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteAlthough there are no new temple updates for those under construction or undergoing renovations, a new update on the Charlotte North Carolina Temple indicates that some site clearing is underway. I am hoping that means that the next major temple construction update (whether it happens on Tuesday next week or on the first Monday after New Year's Day) will include a rendering and groundbreaking for the Charlotte North Carolina Temple. I am also looking into the probability that the Church could dedicate one or two temples in July of next year. If that happens, the most likely candidates (in my opinion) are the Taylorsville Utah and Casper Wyoming Temples.
DeleteMy thanks once again to you all.
The Church News has provided two additional reports. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteOn this Friday, the Church News has shared a few new reports. First up is a look back at the calls of the current 15 apostles. FamilySearch's Dan Call describes how family history influences holiday traditions. 13 Christmas stories have been shared through the years of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square's Christmas concerts. And Latter-day Saints in the Pacific are helping to literally "#Light the World". It looks like there may be a few new temple construction updates today. My thanks once again to you all.
ReplyDeleteConstruction status updates have been noted on the Antofagasta Chile, Farmington New Mexico, Managua Nicaragua, Montpelier Idaho and Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Temples. My thanks once again to you all.
DeleteA new report has been shared by the Newsroom. My thanks once again to you all.
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