View of the Salt Lake Temple from the plaza at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, on November 28, 2023. The area will reopen to the public on Saturday, January 6, 2024.
SALT LAKE CITY — Officials with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Wednesday that portions of the yearslong renovation of Temple Square were complete and ready to open shortly.
According to a press release, beginning Saturday, the construction barricades will be removed from a section of Main Street Plaza, as well as several other plazas, while construction continues on the Salt Lake Temple.
Along with the northern end of Main Street Plaza, plazas are also opening by the Church Office Building, and northwest area of Temple Square.
Saturday’s reopening comes as construction crews prepare to start “limited” renovations of the Assembly Hall, which will close once the plazas have reopened.
Chris Moore, Church Media Relations Manager said the project will include structural repairs, mechanical upgrades and interior plaster repairs. It’s slated to be completed in 2025.
On the plaza by the Church Office Building, 92 flag poles will fly the flags of officially recognized United Nations member countries. The flags will rotate every three months in alphabetical order by country name in English.
The Church also announced progress on the Beehive and Lion houses, two neighboring historic homes on Temple Square. Renovation work on the historic buildings was first announced in 2022.
Workers will clear landscaping and excavate around the foundations for inspections and repairs aimed at better protecting the structures from water damage.
Along with “historically appropriate” plants, new landscaping at the homes “will feature drought-resistant plants and water-wise irrigation to improve water management and ensure foundation stability,” according to the Church.
Renovations across Temple Square began in December 2019 and are expected to conclude sometime in 2026. Completion has been delayed multiple times, adding a total of two years to the project that was originally expected to be complete sometime this year.