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The Provo Municipal Council is expected to pave the way for the LDS Church to buy a street next to the remains of the Provo Tabernacle.

The council will vote Tuesday on a request to vacate 100 South between University Avenue and 100 West. The Planning Commission recommended approving the vacation in March.

In February, the church announced it wanted to purchase the portion of 100 South directly south of the tabernacle.

Church spokesman Scott Trotter earlier said the purchase is part of the church's ongoing plans to convert the burned-out tabernacle into the Provo City Center Temple.

Helen Anderson, the city's spokeswoman, said vacating the easement is the first step toward actually selling the road to the church. "There is no agreement [to sell the road] yet," Anderson said.

She said the next step is to have the property appraised to establish its market value.

When the city vacated 100 West between Center Street and 100 South for Nu Skin Enterprises' headquarters expansion, the city's Redevelopment Agency paid $1.025 million for the street. The RDA gave the property to Nu Skin, and the city will recoup the money through property taxes, Anderson said earlier.

The church has also offered to buy Nu Skin's parking terrace to the immediate west of the tabernacle. Nu Skin representatives have confirmed the church's offer, and said the company plans to build another one nearby.

The city commissioned a traffic study in 2011 to examine the effect of closing 100 South to traffic. The study found that it would improve traffic flow in the downtown area.

The 129-year-old tabernacle was gutted in a Dec. 17, 2010 fire. LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson announced the plan to restore the building and convert into the faith's second temple in Provo in October 2011.

The church will break ground for the new temple on May 12. Temple construction typically takes two to three years.

dmeyers@sltrib.comTwitter: @donaldwmeyers —

What's next?

The Provo Municipal Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at 351 W. Center St.