Church to raze Plaza Hotel and build parking for temple open house

Property Reserve, the real estate investment arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and owner of the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel, has announced the 1970s-era building will close Nov. 1 and be demolished. 

When the hotel closes, ownership will be transferred to the church, which will then raze the structure and build a temporary parking lot to accommodate visitors during the open house of the rebuilt Salt Lake Temple, according to a release from Property Reserve. The open house is currently scheduled to begin in April 2027 and continue for six months. The church expects up to 22,000 people per day to visit the temple during the open house.

The hotel, located at 122 W. South Temple across the street north from Abravanel Hall, is closing in response to rising costs “to maintain, operate and update its aging structure,” according to the press release. The release said the Plaza will be demolished floor-by-floor in order to preserve any recyclable materials.

“Upon completion, the parking area will include landscaping that will complement Temple Square to the east and the FamilySearch Library to the north,” the release said. “Any long-term change-of-use for the site following the temple open house is yet to be determined.”

Property Reserve said it will be providing financial and job-search support to hotel employees to help them transition to new jobs, according to the release.