http://cityofphiladelphia.wordpress.com/2014/02/12/mayor-nutter-unveils-major-new-development-for-center-city/

What's this all about? A meeting house alongside residential and retail facilities?

LD$ has been quite aggressively investing across the U.S in recent years:

*City creek project
*Becoming the largest private land owner in florida
*and now this!

If another economic and financial collapse come, surely the church is done for?

That's very good news, one more probable violation of charitable status to add to the already large file I'm preparing to send to the UK Charity Commission.

Have you included the hunting lodges which used to be run by senior missionaries?

And yet, last April....

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/welcome-to-conference?lang=eng

"As you know, in the October general conference I announced changes in the ages at which young men and young women might serve as full-time missionaries, with the young men now being able to serve at age 18 and the young women at 19.

The response of our young people has been remarkable and inspiring. As of April 4—two days ago—we have 65,634 full-time missionaries serving, with over 20,000 more who have received their calls but who have not yet entered a missionary training center and over 6,000 more in the interview process with their bishops and stake presidents. It has been necessary for us to create 58 new missions to accommodate the increased numbers of missionaries.

To help maintain this missionary force, and because many of our missionaries come from modest circumstances, we invite you, as you are able, to contribute generously to the General Missionary Fund of the Church."

Thanks anonBrit & stumbling, the hunting preserves are included & mention will also be made of the huge army of salespeople (missionaries) who are more or less compelled to give 2 years of their lives to this wonderful charity.

And don't forget the huge South American agriculture projects which regularly solicit free employees from Mormon seniors looking for a mission.

Their org chart used to be on the internet, showing all the interconnectedness of the church and the business arms of the church.

I especially noted one job description which requested a couple with specific agricultural skills--these were listed in detail--then at the very bottom of the listing it mentioned that the couple would also have the opportunity to interact with non-member natives and teach them the gospel.

This is the thinly-veiled church element which makes their employment presented as religious service.

Anagrammy

Why in the #?ck did they need to hire Robert A. M. Stern???

That's the Rolls Royce of architecture firms.

Why?

WHY?

My god, they must have money to burn.

It looks like the church is pro- gentrification.
Are there any other religions that take a similar stance?

Many probably do (my former Moravian church certainly did in and near their seminary and music schools), but then most of the projects they built up/invested in (with full and complete financial disclosure to us as members and free financial statements available to ALL online) were church-related or charitable in function. Mostly outwardly charitable, vs inwardly used by members-only church members or groups.

Such as: hospitals, clinics, soup kitchens, women's shelters, after- school care programs, meal and medical transport for the elderly, money for parish or local neighborhood public school libraries, low income housing for the indigent, for diabled or elderly members of the church itself, etc---not ever for retail/for profit malls or condos.

How many custodians could the church hire for the price of one building?

How many hours would that release for Mormon families to be together?

By their fruits.

Another "Large And Spacious Building". Way to go Mormons!

Obviously Philadelphia will be the East Coast headquarters for the new Mormon Republic. ;P

Here's a link to an article in the Salt Lake Tribune. City Creek East--

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsfaithblog/57542701-180/philly-church-temple-residential.html.csp

Where is the part that says there will be small businesses as well. Wasn't that on another thread philli. Com I hate this church! Or this business... Whatever it is.

Edit. Yes the sltrib conveniently forgot to mention the retail stores they will have as part of this project!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/13/2014 10:58PM by stoppedtheinsanity.

I don't know Philadelphia well, but isn't there are story about the "Curse of Billy Penn" regarding building skyscrapers?
That thing is unsightly and I can't see them making as much influence in old-fashioned-religion-ensconsed Philadelphia than they can in Utah.

Maybe they see the future: the Jazz (terrible as they are now) playing the 76ers in the Finals.

BTW, any ex-Mos in Philly tell me: is it proper to boo in church, or in the temple?

It's why we didn't win a World Series until 2008.

They messed with the law and figured that if Billy's view of Camden remained unobstructed, they could build literally behind his back.

Comcast messed it all up, so they stuck this on top of the building: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b3_7_kgd8h4/SXAvy9DWewI/AAAAAAAAXM0/_PyC1ft6m7I/s400/william%2Bpenn.jpg