Genealogists traveling to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City will now have one less hotel to choose from. The lowest-priced hotel in the area, the Travelodge Salt Lake City Temple Square, apparently will close.
An article in a recent issue of the Salt Lake Tribune describes recent statements by LDS Church Presiding Bishop H. David Burton concerning the Church's efforts at changing the area around the Church's headquarters.
The article states that "the church may add more student housing at a motel it owns west of its Conference Center." This apparently is a reference to the Travelodge Salt Lake City Temple Square at 144 West North Temple St. That hotel has been well-known amongst genealogists as being the lowest-priced hotel in the area, although readers of this newsletter gave it a "thumbs down" in a recent survey. See my article on "Where to Stay in Salt Lake City" at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2005/10/where_to_stay_i.html
An announcement some months ago stated that the LDS Business College will relocate to the church-owned Triad Center in September with up to 1,500 students. (See http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2006/01/changes_in_the_.html for details.) Female students will be housed in one-third of the church's Plaza Hotel at Temple Square, 122 W. South Temple. That location is next door to the Family History Library and is very popular with out-of-town genealogists. Although one-third of the hotel is being converted to student housing, the rest of the rooms will remain a hotel.
Bishop H. David Burton also stated that the church remains committed to building condos or apartments in the area.
You can read the entire article at http://www.sltrib.com/search/ci_3701021
