If you're gonna be in business...

I was recently taken to task for displaying an anti-LDS bias. Sorry, no such bias. My criticism has been that the LDS Church has a business side that, with respect to the mall redevelopment, has not been very businesslike. Although it was obvious that something drastic had to be done about the two malls, and it was also obvious that the LDS Church was going to do something drastic because it was evicting all the tenants, they wouldn't even provide a rough draft of what they had in mind. All this did was create FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) for merchants and customers alike, driving them to other locations, which runs exactly counter to the LDS Church's stated goal of revitalizing the Temple Square area. In other words, they weren't making a good business move.

Further, I stand by my position that the management choice leaves a great deal to be desired. Ann Taylor is no more an improvement over Bliss, and Applebee's is no more an improvement over Caffe Molise or Vienna Bistro, than Waldenbooks is an improvement over Sam Weller's, but for Taubman the chains are dogma. Turning downtown into a multi-storied version of Sandy is not a good business move, either.

My opinions have nothing to do with religious doctrine, folks. It's just business.