Mormons to build 32-story tower near Center City

The meetinghouse will be the primary worship space for about 1,000 of the 25,000 Mormons in the Philadelphia area, said Corinne Dougherty, director of public affairs for the church's Philadelphia region.

Tenants need not be Mormons to rent an apartment or townhouse in the development, officials said. They said the units would rent at market prices.

Wednesday's announcement is the next step in the church's commitment to invest in Philadelphia, City Council President Darrell L. Clarke said. Church officials said the development would complete their local building plans.

The total cost of the project is not yet known, church officials said.

The church will not receive city or state money for the project, Nutter said. He said the project would create an estimated 1,500 to 1,800 jobs.

The for-profit residential tower will be subject to city taxes, mayoral spokesman Mark McDonald said; the meetinghouse will be tax-exempt because of its religious nature. He said the project was also eligible for the city's 10-year tax abatement for new development.

Plans for the project still need approval from various city agencies, and no date has been set for groundbreaking. Construction is projected to last from 18 months to two years.

Nutter said the new buildings on what is now a parking lot would bring "more residents, worshipers, and retail activity to one of the most architecturally significant sections of our city," and would transform the skyline.

The nearly 360-foot tower - by comparison, the Comcast tower rises 975 feet - will also mark the latest step in the redevelopment of Vine Street, which already is home to the Central Branch of the Free Library and the planned transformation of the Family Court building into a luxury hotel. The new buildings will rise just a block from the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul, across the Vine Street Expressway.

Other signs of change in the Benjamin Franklin Parkway area include the announcement Monday of a deal for the overhaul of John F. Kennedy Plaza, and a proposed casino in the former Inquirer Building on North Broad Street.

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Mormons to build 32-story tower near Center City