The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints put shovels in the ground last Saturday in Mason for the Cincinnati Ohio Temple, a single-story building planned for a corner that is much larger than the sanctuary itself.
Elder Alan T. Phillips, a General Authority Seventy and member of the United States Northeast Area Presidency, presided over the Nov. 7 ceremony, the church's newsroom reported. Plans call for 29,630 square feet at Mason-Montgomery Road and Cedar Village Drive. Once dedicated, the church says, it will be Ohio's third temple, joining those in Cleveland and Columbus.
Thirty-Five Acres, One Floor
A separate church milestones note places the project on a 35-acre site at that intersection, Mason, OH 45040. The building is one story. The parcel is not.
The Cincinnati Enquirer has described the Mason temple as Ohio's largest for Latter-day Saints and reported a land purchase close to $7.9 million. The construction price tag had not been released. Nearly $8 million is on the books for the ground. The number for the building that is supposed to rise there is not.
Open for a While, Then Members Only
The newsroom's account of the temple's purpose is direct: "The primary purpose of temples is for faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ to participate in sacred ceremonies."
Before that restriction takes hold, neighbors get a look. WVXU reported that the building will be open for free public tours for a period before dedication. After dedication, access is limited to church members in good standing.
Jared Mattingley estimates the temple will serve about 20,000 people in Cincinnati, Dayton and Northern Kentucky, WVXU reported. He also estimates construction will take about two years. That is his timetable.
Third in the State, Announced in 2024
The Cincinnati temple was announced in 2024, according to WVXU. The station noted that the Columbus temple opened in 1999 and that Cleveland's opened earlier this year. Statewide, the church says Ohio is home to nearly 66,000 Latter-day Saints and more than 130 congregations. The Mason project is aimed at a regional share of that membership, not the whole state.
WVXU also recounted an older Ohio chapter: the historic Kirtland temple was completed in 1836 and opened in 1836. Temple building here is not a new idea. What Mason has so far is a ceremony, a 35-acre corner and a one-story plan.
The next public phase, as described to WVXU, is those free tours, and only for a while. After dedication, the door is for members in good standing. Until someone publishes a construction cost, the firm figures remain the land price, the acreage and 29,630 square feet.
