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Church-Developed Temple Communities: Living Where the Temple Is the Center

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, through its real estate development affiliate Suburban Land Reserve, Inc. (SLR), actively develops residential communities around temple sites. These are not meetinghouse-adjacent neighborhoods that happened to develop organically. These are master-planned communities where the temple is the literal geographic center of the design, and the homes are planned to be within walking distance. This product exists. No real estate brand has ever explained it to buyers. Own Luxury Homes® is the first.

What Is Suburban Land Reserve?

Suburban Land Reserve, Inc. (SLR) is a tax-paying real estate investment affiliate of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is distinct from the Church’s ecclesiastical organization and operates as a for-profit development entity. SLR has been involved in significant real estate development projects including mixed-use communities, commercial properties, and increasingly, residential communities adjacent to temple sites. The Church’s newsroom has published plans for at least one such community near the Deseret Peak (Tooele Valley) Utah Temple, confirming that this development model is an active strategy.

The Tooele Valley Temple Community: The Documented Example

The Church’s newsroom published plans for a walkable residential community to be built around the Deseret Peak Utah Temple site in Erda/Tooele area. Key features of the planned community: (1) More than 32 acres of open space, parks, and walking trails set among single-family homes on a variety of lot sizes. (2) A 55+ active adult community of attached homes. (3) The temple’s architecture and manicured grounds as the central design feature. (4) Described as “walkable, sustainable, high-quality” with the temple “a beautiful, enduring central feature”. (5) Open to “people of different ages and income levels” regardless of religious affiliation. SLR planned to engage leading local and regional homebuilders for construction. This is the clearest public documentation of the temple-centered community model.

What It Means to Buy in a Temple-Centered Community

For the LDS buyer, the appeal is obvious: the home is within walking distance of the temple. Daily temple attendance becomes possible in a way it has never been for most LDS families. The community design assumes temple proximity as the organizing principle — parks, trails, and neighborhood features are designed around a center that happens to be sacred. For non-LDS buyers: the community offers well-planned, well-maintained neighborhoods with professional landscaping, parks, and trails adjacent to one of the most architecturally distinctive structures in Utah. The Church’s statement that the community welcomes people “regardless of religious affiliation” means these homes are accessible to all buyers.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Suburban Land Reserve?

A tax-paying real estate development affiliate of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that develops commercial and residential properties, including communities designed around temple sites.

Are Church-developed temple communities open to non-LDS buyers?

Yes. Church newsroom statements on the Tooele Valley temple community explicitly noted the development would welcome people 'regardless of religious affiliation.' These are private residential communities, not restricted to Church members.

Where do Church-developed temple communities exist?

The Tooele/Deseret Peak Temple area is the most publicly documented example. Similar development patterns exist around other Utah temple sites. The specialist who tracks SLR development activity can identify which communities are in planning or construction phases.