January next year will mark the beginning of a new chapter for the Latter-day Saints community in Jacksonville. A groundbreaking ceremony for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' new temple is scheduled for Jan. 24, 2026, on a plot of land steeped in local history. According to First Coast News, the church's plans for the 29,000-square-foot building on Loretto Road were originally announced three years ago.
Having purchased the Mandarin property for $7.15 million early in 2024, the Church is set to embark on construction that will cost approximately $27 million. According to Jacksonville Today, the site was previously home to the Fleming Bowden house, demolished in early 2024 that has history reaching back to the early 1900s. Notwithstanding its non-historic designation, local efforts to save the home by relocation fell through.
Elder Massimo De Feo, First Counselor in the United States Southeast Area Presidency, will lead an invite-only crowd during the groundbreaking ceremony, as reported by the Church's newsroom. Touched upon during the Church's announcement years prior by President Russell M. Nelson, these new structures are a testament to "making these sacred possibilities become a reality in each of your lives."
Florida, which houses nearly 180,000 Latter-day Saints across roughly 280 congregations, will now boast a total of five temples, with Jacksonville's addition. As detailed by First Coast News, the state currently has two dedicated temples in Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale, while the Orlando temple undergoes renovation, and Tampa's temple is in the midst of construction.
