Temples scheduled for renovations:
Memphis Tennessee: 6.35 acre lot (includes adjacent
meetinghouse, which, with the parking lot, may account for roughly 75% of that
acreage (which, if correct, works out to roughly 4.77 acres); area of the
temple itself: 10,700 square feet (which, if my calculations are correct, works
out to around 0.24 acres)
Please also note that the design of this temple may be
similar, if not identical, to the Asuncion Paraguay, Raleigh North Carolina, and
Baton Rouge Louisiana Temples.
Conclusion: If the calculations above are correct (and
they might not be), in theory, there might be room for this temple to expand.
However, some experts on temple matters with whom I shared this theory noted
that there wasn’t much room within the current area on which the temple sits
for such an expansion to happen. I am doing some study on this matter to try to
figure out how feasible an expansion might be, but for now, it doesn’t seem
likely.
Oklahoma City Oklahoma: 1 acre lot (43,560 square feet);
area of the temple itself: 10,769 square feet.
Conclusion: Expansion may be a possibility, as there is room
within the lot for such an expansion. How likely an expansion might be is
another question entirely.
Asuncion Paraguay: 7 acre lot; area of the temple itself:
10,700 square feet (design may be similar, if not identical, to Memphis
Tennessee, Raleigh North Carolina and Baton Rouge Louisiana)
Conclusion: Plenty of room for an expansion, so it might
be possible
Raleigh North Carolina: 12 acre lot; area of the temple
itself: 10,700 square feet (design may be similar, if not identical to Memphis
Tennessee, Asuncion Paraguay and Baton Rouge Louisiana)
Conclusion: If member reports are correct, an expansion
is not part of the plan for this temple. There is, however, plenty of room on
the lot to expand it. I won’t be surprised either way.
Baton Rouge Louisiana: 6.3 acre lot (includes adjoining
meeting house, which may account for roughly 75% of that acreage; area of the
temple itself: 10,700 square feet (design may be similar, if not identical to Memphis
Tennessee, Asuncion Paraguay, and Raleigh North Carolina)
Conclusion: Expansion possible; plenty of room to expand
the temple; wouldn’t surprise me either way.
NOTE: For the planned renovations of the Tokyo Japan,
Oakland California, Washington DC, and Mesa Arizona Temples, the main purpose
seems to be to update electrical and mechanical systems and bring them
up-to-date and up-to-code. An expansion of these temples seems unlikely. Most
of the others scheduled for renovation seem to have plenty of room to expand.
The question is, is an expansion planned for any of them? It seems possible,
especially as I was advised a while ago that it may make more sense to expand
some of these smaller temples than it would to build others. I will keep an eye
out for developments on this front and pass along any updates as I become aware
of them.