SALT LAKE CITY — The completion date for the renovation of Temple Square in Salt Lake City has been pushed back a year, and is now set to be finished in 2026, largely due to the seismic retrofit needed for the Salt Lake Temple.
Church leaders made this announcement Thursday, saying that the new date was projected after discussions with project consultants and the general contractor working on the project. Renovations began in 2019.
In the Church's announcement, officials said that "when working with historic structures such as (the) pioneer-era temple, unexpected challenges are inevitable."
In updates released March 7, the Church stated that seismic upgrades for the temple to isolate the base were underway as crews are building a new foundation upon which base isolators will rest, along with reinforced steel cages that will eventually provide new footings along the existing foundations of the temple, both inside and out.
Work continues on the northwest corner of Temple Square where one of the visitors' centers previously stood, and is expected to be complete in fall of 2023. After that portion is completed, new buildings and landscaping will begin on the Southwest corner of the square.
