Scientologys survival depends on the preservation of its headquarters in Clearwater. Thats not happening with almost any of these properties. I'm glad you brought this up! For Sale: 500000 - Residential, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,315 sqft at 1359 HOWARD STREET in Clearwater South. Times reporters built a database of hundreds of properties in the center of Clearwaters downtown. This Gulfport 14-year-old, The death of Dilbert and the art vs. the artist | Letters. A scuffed copy of the Koran. GARCIA-NAVARRO: That's Tracey McManus, who reports on Scientology for the Tampa Bay Times, talking about the church's increased real estate footprint in Clearwater, Fla. Concerned he wouldnt be able to pay his mortgage, Argall said he deeded the building, appraised at $780,000, back to the previous owner. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. New Pasco County commissioner accused of faking his residency, Guide to Plant Citys Strawberry Festival, one of the largest festivals in the nation, Gov. The Church's celebrity members Tom Cruise and John Travolta are known to have estates in Clearwater not far from the Scientology headquarters. Visit hotel website. Chef Karl has held positions at the Bermuda Carlton Beach Hotel, and Royal Orleans Hotel in New Orleans. The Mission: Impossible - Fallout star plans to call an elaborate penthouse, complete with a private swimming pool and garden, his new home. High-ranking defectors provide an unprecedented inside look at Scientology, its leader and the Lisa McPherson case. Accuracy and availability may vary. in positive and negative effects of coca cola. Cruise, 56, is moving into a multimillion-dollar penthouse apartment at The SkyView, a 10 . GARCIA-NAVARRO: What is the view of the local community? Story by TRACEY McMANUS Closed now : See all hours. Over half are owned or operated by Scientologists. After buying eight buildings on and around Cleveland Street in 2018, Moises Agami, a parishioner and developer, now has restaurants, shops and other businesses in 16 of those 20 storefronts. MCMANUS: You know, Lulu, from my reporting, I've learned that there's a lot of mistrust and suspicion still in the community when it comes to Scientology because a lot of the residents here were living in the city when Scientology arrived in the '70s, and they remember the tactics Scientology used. Hubbard had a vision of making Clearwater a spiritual home for his Church of Scientology. Since 2017, the Church of Scientology and companies run by its members have bought 92 properties around the center of downtown. His wife, parishioner and real estate agent, Terri Novitsky, represented the buyer in many of the deals, according to interviews with sellers. Most religions have a fundamentalist wing, Rinder said. Longtime City Manager Bill Horne said he cant tell whether the church wants the same thing. It's Clearwater, FL. The church also targeted the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Justice and scores of foreign governments. The acquisitions mirror the pattern that unfolded downtown between 2017 and 2019, when companies tied to Scientology bought 100 properties within walking distance of the waterfront and the. They come from all walks of life, professions and ethnic groups. Once we dug into the data and pulled records, we found that LLCs tied to the Church of Scientology had bought about 100 properties. He saw the area improve when police cracked down on drugs and prostitution decades ago. GARCIA-NAVARRO: So tell me about these land purchases. Thank you guys , Hello Mike, during the live chat you mentioned your first encounter with Mark Bunker back in the LMT years. Block after block, vacant lots sit untouched, and storefronts remain empty: A former jewelry store. Paid in cash. The Church of Scientology and its parishioners now own a lot of real estate in Clearwater, Fla., as reported by the Tampa Bay Times. About $15.9 million was paid in cash. You are a fundamentalist Scientologist, or youre not one at all.. . City officials have long hoped for private investors to transform the North Marina Area, a 13-block district with undeveloped lots and 100-year-old bungalows overlooking Clearwater Harbor. Critics of the church say that the Scientology bought the downtown properties to keep the public at bay. Bosi wasnt interested. 'The Church was unaware of the significant number of properties owned by Scientologists in the Clearwater area and are delighted you provided the information,' the letter added. Real estate offices, vitamin shops and vacant storefronts fill prime locations that in a more vibrant downtown might hold breweries, restaurants and boutiques. The Church of Scientology acquired the building in 2017 as part of its downtown redevelopment plan. MCMANUS: Well, our reporting shows that Scientology has a big interest in preserving its downtown campus. There are 22 Church of Scientology facilities in downtown Clearwater. the organization's members was that of 36-year-old Lisa McPherson while in the care of Scientologists at the Scientology-owned Fort Harrison Hotel, in Clearwater, Florida, in . While theres no law against hanging onto property, developers typically buy land, build on it and sell it for profit. The reason lies in rising tensions between the church and the Clearwater City Council. February 27, 2023 7:03 PM. In late 2020, Terri Novitsky also was elected to the Downtown Development Board, an advisory group tasked with promoting downtown. Scientologists from across the globe make pilgrimages to the campus, called Flag. Toni Says: What is Medicares creditable prescription drug coverage? But the aquarium rejected his bid in order to sell it to the city for $4.25 million. He wanted the council to stop trying to buy a vacant lot on which the church was also bidding. But after he forwarded an email critical of the organization in 2012 to another parishioner, the church began an excommunication process that would have forced his partner of 24 years to stop working with him and his tenants to move out. You have well connected, https://m.facebook.com/jobs/job-opening/332924608432320/, Scientology a cult of lies scientology a cult of lies, https://www.mikerindersblog.org/scientology-businesses-in-clearwater/, Dealing With Scientology Critics - L Ron Hubbard Playbook, Buzzazz Business Solutions (Keanan Kintzel), Consumer Sales Solutions (Tom Cummins and Jim Bridgeforth), MGE Management Experts (Luis Colon, Greg Winteregg), Nelson Construction and Renovations (Gregory Nelson), NTC Nationwide Title Clearing (John Hillman, Todd Kugler, Norm Novitsky), Root Cause Medical Clinic (Rick and Vikki Petersen), Ted McGrath Brands (Jasmin Napier daughter-in-law of Mike Napier), The Tub Guy (Randy and Molly Baxter, she is the former CO FOLO EUS), Silkin Management Group (located in Portland OR), USA Tree Service LLC (Jim and Karen Kettner). Hes encouraged by city investments in the boat ramp and North Ward Elementary, and holds out hope that the undeveloped lots and dilapidated homes will be replaced with something vibrant. The church has amassed 60 properties in Pinellas County since arriving in 1975. hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater. Delk described the projects which require voter approval as key to the plans success. 1991: An investment firm owned by Joel Feshbach, an acknowledged Scientologist, purchased Cocolat, a West Coast candy company that was having some financial . However, it hasnt always been clear to me as to just what does that actually mean.. ARC Straightwire (ARC stands for affinity-reality-communication) ARC Fil Direct. Hillsborough forms had errors, Church of Scientologys presence in Pinellas County, Clear Takeover: How Scientology doubled its downtown Clearwater footprint in 3 years, Scientologys 40 years of conflict with Clearwater, recapped, What Clearwaters City Council thinks about Scientologys downtown takeover, Typhoon cancels Clearwaters sister city visit to Nagano. DeSantis vetoed a $1M Day of Service program that was worth so much more | Column, DeSantis calls for open market to compete with Advanced Placement, Supreme Court weighs Biden student loan plan worth billions, Maple Leafs: Lightning, other division rivals did not spur deal, The youngest Grand Prix of St. Petersburg driver? Save. June 22, 2022; Posted by . I think it throws a stake in it when one party owns 50 percent or so. The Tampa Bay Times discovered them by reviewing more than 1,000 deeds and business records, then interviewed more than 90 people to reconstruct the circumstances surrounding the transactions. Almost immediately, a decades-long trickle of purchases by church members turned into a flood. Clearwater A newspaper report says the Church of Scientology and companies run by its members spent more than $100 million over the past three years buying up huge sections of downtown. AND it is NOT in a Flood Zone! Even as Scientologys footprint expanded, and nearby Clearwater Beach became one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States, downtown businesses struggled to stay open. They started hosting concerts on the waterfront that now draw thousands. #1 of 10 resorts in Clearwater. Has the Church of Scientology ever killed anyone? A uniformed member of Scientologys full-time work force, the Sea Org, walks along N Fort Harrison Avenue, passing a vacant restaurant. Dalai Lama. Rebecca and Uri's father is Dr. David Minkoff, a physician and Church of Scientology member, who was partly implicated in Lisa McPherson's 1995 death. But Scientologist-controlled companies are also sitting on at least 26 vacant lots and 31 empty storefronts and offices. Clearwater, FL is the town literally owned by Scientologists, so checks out Reply . And our analysis found that these church officials were offering two, three, four times what the property appraiser said the properties were valued. Flag is run by thechurchs notorious full-time workforce, the Sea Org, whose members sign billion-year contracts. But,so far, there have been only 4 comments posted to, It was fantastic stream! This gallery shows all 60 properties Scientology owns under its name in Pinellas county and six additional retail properties the church acquired through limited liability companies in 2017. Buy up as much property as they can for the church whether they use it or not, whether they let it sit there and rot so no one else can be there,'Tom De Vocht, a former Scientology executive who oversaw the churchs property in Clearwater from 1996 to 2001, said. Tyler Rice has run Carillon Flooring Center on North Fort Harrison for 30 years, the business his father started there in 1964. Some of the parishioners have a history of working on Scientologys behalf. The Church was unaware of the significant number of properties owned by Scientologists in the Clearwater area and are delighted you provided the information, the letter continued. Tom Cruise, a devout follower of Scientology, has been effectively 'homeless' since he put his homes in California and New York on the marketearning GBP 41.5million ($55 million) in the process. And the properties cover about 100 acres. The church now completely controls the heart of the city, save for a few condominium tower and buildings owned by the government, the Tampa Bay Times discovered after reviewing 1,000 deeds and business records, shocking city leaders and residents at the scope of the churchs dominance. A few months later, the newcomers admitted they were actually Scientology. The church requires followers to shun family members, friends and business contacts who defy it. A for-lease sign sits in long-vacant retail space at The SkyView condo tower, owned by Scientologist and developer Moises Agami. MCMANUS: Scientology arrived in downtown Clearwater in 1975. Answer (1 of 12): Openly, they tend to congregate around the area of downtown where they work and own most of the real estate. They envisioned apartment buildings with ground-floor stores, winding paths with views of the Intracoastal Waterway and a concert venue that would draw visitors from across the region. ', 'Ever since Ive been here, and ever since Ive dealt with Scientology officials, I have heard the leaders articulate that they want to see a vibrant downtown,,' Longtime City Manager Bill Horne, who wanted to turn downtown into a mall and entertainment center, said. Rice said hes been surprised that he has not been approached by brokers trying to buy his 10,000-square-foot building. The goal was to capture the area immediately surrounding both Scientologys headquarters, City Hall and the city-owned waterfront. It teaches that expanding Scientology is key to saving the world, then wields a system of totalitarian policies to keep parishioners in line. Scientologys extraordinary influence over its members has been documented in government investigations and testimony from former parishioners throughout its 65-year history. 'The logical conclusion is Scientology must have some sort of a game plan in mind, but theyre not public with what it is,' City Council member Hoyt Hamilton said. After the Times reported the purchases, Miscavige acknowledged the properties were bought for a second revitalization strategy one devised by the church. Fischler did not respond to phone messages, a certified letter or a note left at her condo. Purchases in the North Marina Area took off in July 2019, three months after the City Council voted to buy the historic North Ward Elementary School across the street from the Seminole ramp and Andrus condo. 'Typically, when people buy commercial real estate, they move forward with construction or redevelopment. The Boca Raton Beach Club. Review. Scientologys international spiritual headquarters is anchored by the Flag Building, on left. The Times described sales as cash transactions when they were paid without a mortgage filed in public records. But even when the church isnt in control, its presence can deter development. [quote] Florida Gov. It met his criteria: It was located in a warm climate near an international airport and had a hotel the Sea Org could turn into a base. The analysis did not include residential parcels except in cases where they were bought in conjunction with commercial property or vacant land. He has not been arrested by the FBI; fined $10 million by the FTC for running a roach motel; is not facing criminal rape charges; is not dealing with class action lawsuits; and is not awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to felony insurance fraud. Both have been there for decades. Minkoff had his medical license suspended for a year after it . The property wasnt on the market. June 9, 2022. Lee sold when Fischler upped her offer to $410,000 cash for the building valued at $109,000 by the property appraiser. The Times used the date that transactions were recorded in Clerk of Courts official record as the date of sale. They also pointed to the latest edition of their Freedom magazine for what they called an accurate portrayal of the church and its members in Clearwater. By then, the churchs intelligence unit was already deploying an elaborate scheme to establish area control in the city. When I have to go to that area, and see them in crowds moving from building to building doing their work ( whatever that is) I think of cockroaches, like whatever you do . It is headed by David Miscavige [1] . I mean, do they view it as helpful for the community at large to have a major religious organization centered in their town or not? Lares and his wife, Emily, sold the diner inside a decade ago. I really appreciate you all giving up your time to, Mike was probably getting a slew of YSCOHB texts from DM. These are the companies and names on this list (put into alphabetical order, I also added what are probably the largest scientology owned businesses in the area KnowB4, NTC, Consumer Sales Solutions and Energy Professionals: Axiom Bahia Property Management (Raul Aleman) Blue Streak Docs (Sam Gendusa) Buzzazz Business Solutions (Keanan Kintzel) The comments below have not been moderated. The city wants to turn downtown into a regional destination for food, drink and entertainment. Graphics by ELI MURRAY When will the Beast from the East be at YOUR door? Andrus helped carry out a plan to stop a Scientologist who had spied on the federal government from turning himself in to the FBI. Columnist Stephanie Hayes will share thoughts, feelings and funny business with you every Monday. The dowtown area of Clearwater is dominated by buildings owned by the Scientologists. Businesses without ties to the church are moving into a few of those. Your email address will not be published. Some have donated millions to the church. Toxic trauma expert Gabor Mate diagnoses Prince Harry with attention deficit disorder but tells him it CAN 'I felt different to the rest of my family - and my mum felt the same': Prince Harry opens up on his 'broken 'He's completely beige drained of all his feisty ginger life-blood': JULIE BURCHILL'S verdict on Prince 'I was a bit of a mess': Amanda Abbington reveals she considered suicide after split from ex Martin Freeman DR ELLIE CANNON: My breast has not got lumps but it's itchy, should I be concerned about cancer at age 72? Thank you very much. He called the Tampa Bay Times questions about parishioners activity not just stupid, false and offensive, but un-American., You talk out of both sides of your mouth: If redevelopment is being done by the city or a member of another religion, not Scientology, it is good; if redevelopment is being done by a Scientologist, it is bad, Shaw said. View Hotel. You will discover the facts for yourself when you read that article; it provides the real answer as to what has happened with downtown revitalizationand how that revitalization was torpedoed by the Times. Eventually, open tensions faded. what does holetta mean in polish renault clio steering wheel controls not working hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater. MCMANUS: Yeah, I think that the key here is the uncertainty. Scientology founderL. Ron Hubbard called Clearwater its spiritual headquarters. Ever since then the church stopped communicating with the city, and the rapid land grab commenced. Click here to read the story. Andrus, the former church operative, has broken ground on a condo tower near the citys boat ramp and filed plans for another housing complex nearby. Run away!!! Scientology leader David Miscavige had his own redevelopment plan. Leading up to the waterfront, 22 of the first 33 buildings now have ties to Scientology. The church bought the 220-room hotel secretly in 1975, and since then, it has witnessed a number of unusual deaths. I had to make a decision, Bosi said. CLEARWATER, Fla. In this small beachside community sits a 1.4-acre patch of dirt that has become a flash point in a fight between church and state. We've got 2511 hotels to choose from within 5 miles of Church of Scientology. Limited liability companies managed by Hayes, the attorney whos done work on behalf of the church, bought almost the entire square block directly east of the North Ward school. Scientology leader David Miscavige pictured above. And he was going to build an entertainment complex with Tom Cruise. Church of Scientology's presence in Pinellas County Since arriving in Clearwater in 1975, the Church of Scientology has bought 60 properties in Pinellas County under its name: 58 are in the. wolf trace homes for sale; by . In just three years, starting with a frantic land grab in January 2017, Scientology doubled its footprint in the city. Part of the reason for that is because they have this Sea Org that works full time and is paid less than $50 a week. Oddly enough, half of those properties werent on sale and half of the sales went for more than double the propertys actual value. "Working from home" after a hurricane means going to a hotel, since the power always goes out for between 2-7 days. Fifty-eight are in the city of Clearwater and 49 are downtown. Osman Ozsan is, in our opinion, one of the more notable Scientologists you've never heard of. The churchs influence comes from its massive wealth, estimated around $3billion in cash and assets, collected from devoted followers. That has led defectors from the church and city leaders to believe there is little chance parishioners are making significant real estate deals around Scientologys mecca without the churchs involvement. CLEARWATER Ed Chesney had two rental homes and two vacant lots in the North Marina Area on the market for a year before his real estate agent called in late 2019 with good news. A lot of them are vacant lots, vacant buildings, empty storefronts. Didn't like the Grab N Go Idea for a continental Breakfast. This one is owned by a parishioner who had been featured on the churchs Meet a Scientologist video series. Scientology is all I have to say, There are no pros that unless you are a Scientologist. They have control over what businesses, if any, come in. All rights reserved. I believe its irrational to buy property and not fully utilize it.. You have some buyers here that their motivations are not really clear, he said, so its tough to make economic sense out of it.. Show more. The Fort Harrison Hotel serves as the flagship building of the Flag Land Base, the Church of Scientology 's spiritual headquarters in Clearwater, Florida, US. Although Zano is not well known in Clearwater, the companies spent $16.7 million acquiring 26 commercial properties downtown. In Clearwater, Fla., there's been a quiet series of land purchases over the last three years, $103 million worth made by the Church of Scientology and its parishioners - a doubling of the church's footprint near its international headquarters. The Tampa Bay Times reported that the church, including members and employees, now own 185 properties that encompass more than 101 acres in downtown Clearwater, located west of Tampa and sitting. Trending; . Tom Cruise is moving to Clearwater, Florida to live just blocks away from the Church of Scientology headquarters. Since arriving in Clearwater in 1975, the Church of Scientology has bought 60 properties in Pinellas County under its name: 58 are in the city of Clearwater and 49 are downtown. Theyve got one intention, and one intention only, De Vocht said. The Fort Harrison Hotel is located in Clearwater, Florida, and besides being an exclusive Scientology hotel, it is a high-level training center and the church's spiritual headquarters. Can you give me a sense of the scale and how they have made this happen with the relatively little fanfare over the years? (Everything owned by parishioner-run companies is still on the tax rolls. If the council in 2020 isnt on board with doing something his way, hes going to do it himself.. Nearly all of the properties were bought through limited liability companies, which are required to disclose their operators but not their owners. Reached at their condo, his wife declined to comment. In 2016, city consultants began planning what has become a $64 million effort to reinvigorate the waterfront called Imagine Clearwater. Investigative journalism like this is the most expensive work that we do. Since arriving in Clearwater in 1975, the Church of Scientology has purchased 60 properties in Pinellas County under its name. Agami, the developer whose family gave $10 million, leased a storefront to a non-Scientologist that has become a successful restaurant since opening in 2017. City officials are suspicious that the church could be planning to do something with the land they now posses. Thirteen were existing tenants when he bought the properties. No one from the church dictates to me what to buy, what to sell, what to do..

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