Coeur d'Alene approves utility work for future LDS temple site

Coeur d’Alene has cleared the first visible step for the future LDS temple site, approving preliminary grading and underground utility work that will bring water, sewer and electrical connections to the nearly 11-acre parcel at Hanley Avenue and Coeur Terre Boulevard.

The city approval moves the project from drawings and review into early construction activity on the ground. For neighbors, that means the site will soon shift from a vacant piece of land to an active work zone, with trenching, earthmoving and utility installation beginning before any temple walls rise.

The temple was announced in November 2024 and is expected to be the tenth temple in Idaho and the only one in North Idaho. Church materials say it will serve nearly 14,000 Latter-day Saint members in North Idaho, stretching from the Canadian border to Lewiston, and that Idaho had about 476,000 members in 1,228 congregations when the project was announced. The temple is one of 11 Latter-day Saint temples in Idaho that are announced, operating or under construction.

Local stakes go beyond the religious significance. Earlier reporting said about 54,000 Latter-day Saints live in the Inland Northwest, and roughly 28,000 in Coeur d’Alene, Lewiston, Sandpoint and Spokane Valley have been commuting to the Spokane Valley Temple. Local church leaders have said some members in northern and southern Idaho drive two to three hours to reach that temple.

The Coeur d’Alene Design Review Commission approved the temple and meetinghouse plans on March 27, 2026, but attached conditions. Commissioners required the final design to remain substantially similar to what was approved and directed the architect to work with staff on exterior lighting. The lighting drew criticism during review, with concern that illumination could create an outsized visual impact in a rural setting.

The design itself was described as Gothic Revival, with a three-story steeple, stained glass windows, ornate masonry and exterior lighting. Those details matter now because the city’s utility approval means the site is no longer just a conceptual landmark. It is becoming a real development, tied into city infrastructure and likely to shape the look and traffic pattern around Hanley and Coeur Terre as crews begin work.

Bradley Moss, president of the Post Falls Stake, called the approval a sacred milestone and said the temple would be a beacon of faith, hope and peace. The Greater Spokane & North Idaho Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said groundbreaking and full construction timelines will be announced later, but the city’s action makes clear the project has entered its practical phase.