Construction on the south side of Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, January 2023.
SALT LAKE CITY — Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints say the renovation of the Salt Lake Temple is taking longer than expected, delaying the reopening for about a year.
In a news release, the church said Thursday that the project is now expected to be finished in 2026 rather than 2025.
Church officials said construction on the renovation and seismic retrofit of the temple continues at a deliberate and measured pace. They noted however, when working with historic structures such as this pioneer-era building, unexpected challenges are inevitable.
Regarding the previously announced 2025 completion date, Church leadership — in connection with project consultants and the general contractor working on the project — currently estimate completion of the project in 2026. Construction milestones will continue to be shared periodically, with a final completion date and temple open house schedule to be determined and shared as soon as feasible.
Church leaders reported a new milestone was reached with the seismic upgrade for the temple on March 7. Crews poured concrete for the footing of the first base isolator underneath the temple, an important step for the base isolation system. The installation of the first base isolator is anticipated in April.
A working concrete slab now surrounds the entire perimeter of the temple to provide a clean and level surface for crews. Iron workers will use this surface to assemble reinforced steel cages, which will eventually be encased in concrete to become new footings along the existing foundations of the temple both inside and outside. Once completed, base isolators will rest on this new foundation.
When this project is complete, work will then begin on the southwest corner of Temple Square. The Assembly Hall and surrounding gardens and facilities will be closed as crews remove the restroom buildings and portions of the wall. Crews will also update the landscaping. It is anticipated this area will be closed for a year. Additional information on how to access Temple Square with this closure will be updated as the northwest corner opens.
Church President Russell M. Nelson announced plans to renovate the temple, April 7, 2019. At the time, he also said similar renovations would take place at the Logan Utah Temple in the coming years. No additional specifics have been released but many believe the project won’t begin until after the Smithfield Utah Temple is completed.