How the Mormons plan a city for 500,000 in Florida

theguardian ^ | Monday 30 January 2017 02.59 EST | Claire Provost

[Elsie]

From book to boom: how the Mormons plan a city for 500,000 in Florida

The Mormon church owns vast tracts of US land, and now envisages a huge new city on its Deseret Ranch – but at what cost?

[kalee]

I remember reading something about this a long time ago. Iirc non-mormon farmers were unhappy about the amount of land being bought up by outsiders and relationships with the new owners didn’t get off to a good start.

[MuttTheHoople]

Mormons-Muslims with a haircut.

[JonPreston]

Does anyone know how the Ave Maria community is working out?

[Vigilanteman]

What's not to like about this?

1. A demographic where less than 15% voted for Hillary in a swing state where 47% did?
   
2. Massive investments by a group which supports traditional marriage and family values?
   
3. Chicken Little environmentalists already screaming "the sky is falling"?

I wish more religious bodies were engaged in capitalism to this extent. It would make the support for Pope Frank style socialism a LOT less.

[manc]

About to say the same. This only means more republican votes in a swing state.

[Ann Archy]

Ave Maria is great! It was just made a Parish Church by the Bishop recently. Lots of nice houses, restaurants, shopping, etc.

[Vigilanteman]

Yep, for all the hand wringing by Mutt Romney, Utah was solidly carried by Trump. The only counties won by Hillary were two where Mormons are a demographic minority. You can look it up.

[ealgeone]

Mormons-Muslims with a haircut.

Disagree. Mormons aren't looking to blow themselves up nor anyone else.

[V_TWIN]

Clearwater is the scientologists turf.......There could be a rumble.

[JonPreston]

Thank you. I followed the concept from the opening but lost track over the years. So glad it’s a success.

[GOPJ]

Outsiders? Gimme a break - these folks ARE Americans...

Obama allowed the UN to bring in half a million people from 3re world hellholes to be our ‘immigrants’. Talk about ‘outsiders’....

[GOPJ]

You guys working as a team? I live in Florida and this piece is pure BS.

Outsiders? Gimme a break - these folks ARE Americans...

Obama allowed the UN to bring in half a million people from 3re world hellholes to be our ‘immigrants’. Talk about ‘outsiders’....

[Does so]

I wish more religious bodies were engaged in capitalism to this extent.

Another state where they are expanding is New Hampshire—which, no thanks to a recent New Jersey influx, has recently become another swing state!

[Proyecto Anonimo]

Who wins? Depends on which Tom Cruise shows up.

[ncalburt]

the Mormon church should started this idea in 1990 .
it’s all Puerto Rican over there now and its mess over there.
the church can build but the welfare Puerto Ricans will move in.

[Colofornian]

* LDS church-owned KSL, May 18, 2011: LDS Church ranch making big impact in Florida

* Latterdaymainstreet.com, July 18, 2009: LDS Inc. owns .7% of Florida

[Colofornian]

Mormons aren't looking to blow themselves up nor anyone else.

Yet bring to mind the original 9.1.1. terrorist act in this country: 9/11/1857 The Mountain Meadows Massacre, including children & moms.

[MuttTheHoople]

They’re clean-cut, plastic people who follow a theology that makes L.Ron Hubbard seem like a respectable theologian.

[Oratam]

I was curious about how it was doing myself. Here's an article describing it as one of the most successful planned communities in the U.S.

In related news, it's 89 degrees in Naples, Florida.