The Hamilton suburb of Temple View has over 1,300 residents. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) has significant land holdings in the community, including the Hamilton New Zealand Temple site, former Church College of New Zealand (CCNZ) campus (91 acres), and rural land predominantly leased for dairy farming. The homes in Temple View are owned by the people who live there.
A significant aspect and focus of Temple View is the temple itself, where marriage ceremonies occur and families are joined together for eternity through religious ordinances. The Church’s ongoing desire is to enhance the surrounds of the temple to preserve its sanctity and purpose.
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
The former campus grounds of CCNZ, which closed at the end of the school year in 2009, are being repurposed at this time. This substantial repurpose project will help provide to the community an investment of a different kind moving forward into the future.
A Church meetinghouse (called a “stake centre”) – the largest of its kind in New Zealand — will be constructed. The former school library building will be repurposed into a Church History museum with other facilities including a small theatre for Church and community use. Three other heritage buildings — a former residence for CCNZ teachers known as the “First Teacher House;” George R. Biesinger Hall; and Kai Hall — will be preserved and upgraded for community use including gatherings for those who built the temple and college, known by Latter-day Saints as the New Zealand Labour Missionaries. A new park is also being constructed for passive recreation with boardwalks, lakes and plants. The 1.2 kilometre portion of Tuhikaramea Road through Temple View is being significantly upgraded with the inclusion of three new round-a-bouts and the upgrade of underground services.
With the removal of former college buildings, land will be developed and then available for senior and medium density residential housing (none of which will be owned by the Church), with some light commercial product.
Looking forward, it is anticipated that at the end of 2016 and into 2017, Temple View will have a new Church meetinghouse; a beautiful park; a history museum, offices and small theatre; the remodelled Kai Hall, George R. Biesinger Hall and First House; an upgraded road and new infrastructure; and homes under construction on the site of the former campus.
New homes now owned by private individuals and families are currently under construction where former teacher houses once stood along Tuhikaramea Road. Within the next five years it is expected that the former college grounds will provide additional housing for individuals, couples and families who wish to reside in Temple View. A structure plan in conjunction with the Hamilton City Council is under consideration for other parcels of Church land around Temple View.
The Church will continue to maintain strong interest and investment in Temple View. With the preservation of elements of character and history, and with Christian values at its core, Temple View is a very special and significant place and will remain that way into the future.