Construction has officially begun on the Fairview Texas Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, marking a significant milestone after months of negotiations over the building’s design and height.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Saturday, Feb. 21, presided over by Elder Jonathan S. Schmitt, first counselor in the church’s United States Southwest Area Presidency. The event came just over two months after preliminary infrastructure work began on the site in December.
“We pray (the Fairview temple) will be a place where all thy children may come to feel a unique outpouring of thy divine presence, power and peace,” Elder Schmitt said in prayer as he dedicated the temple site for construction.
Plans for the temple were initially approved in late April 2025, but only after an extended period of debate between church representatives and the Fairview Town Council.
Original proposals called for a two-story, 45,000-square-foot structure topped by a spire reaching 174 feet. The Town Council rejected that plan, leading to nearly nine months of mediation and revisions.
The final agreement reduced the structure to a one-story, 30,742-square-foot building with a steeple and spire rising 120 feet above ground — a compromise that allowed the project to move forward.
“We are grateful for the outcome of last night’s meeting and extend our sincere appreciation to the Fairview Town Council for honoring the terms of the mediated agreement,” church spokeswoman Melissa McKneely said in a statement issued after the adjusted plans were approved.
“We know the temple will be a peaceful addition to Fairview and the surrounding communities,” she said.
In a December news release announcing preliminary site work, the church reiterated its appreciation, stating: “The church is grateful for the cooperation of the Town of Fairview as we move forward with the permitting on this project.”
At the groundbreaking ceremony, local church members reflected on the spiritual importance of temple worship.
Latter-day Saint youth Lindsey McKneely shared: “I love the temple. It’s my favorite place. It’s my refuge. It’s where I go to feel safe and to feel loved. Everything slows down for me …. I know whatever I go through, I never go through it alone because of my covenants and my Savior Jesus Christ.”
While dedicating the temple’s 8.16-acre site, Elder Schmitt offered prayers not only for church members but also for the surrounding community.
“We pray a blessing to be upon all thy children in this beautiful community of Fairview, Texas, and surrounding municipalities,” Elder Schmitt said. “We pray that hearts will be softened and that all thy children will feel of thy light, grace and goodness that will emanate from this holy place.”
Located at 681 E. Stacy Road in Fairview — a suburb north of Dallas — the temple will become the church’s third operating temple in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area. It is expected to serve more than 390,000 Latter-day Saints across Texas.
The temple was first announced in October 2022 general conference by then-Church President Russell M. Nelson, originally under the name Prosper Texas Temple. When the official site location was released in December 2023, it was renamed the McKinney Texas Temple before ultimately being designated the Fairview Texas Temple in April 2025 to reflect its precise location.
Texas has experienced steady growth in Latter-day Saint membership in recent decades, particularly in fast-growing suburban regions north of Dallas. The Fairview temple reflects the church’s broader strategy of constructing smaller, regionally accessible temples to reduce travel time for members.
Beyond its spiritual role, the project also represents a notable local development effort, with infrastructure work, permitting coordination and architectural revisions requiring close collaboration between church leaders and municipal officials.
With construction now underway, church leaders and local members alike expressed hope that the temple will serve as both a sacred space for worship and a lasting addition to the Fairview community.
Originally reported by Amy Ortiz in Deseret.
