Why does this matter? It's not clear how many followers are based in Clearwater. By the Numbers: Scientologists in the Clearwater Community 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. Tom Cruise invites us inside this posh penthouse in Florida He demanded to see their financials, their board of directors. Toni Says: What is Medicares creditable prescription drug coverage? He was overseeing the religion from aboard a ship to avoid investigations into tax evasion and fraud when he selected Clearwater as a spiritual headquarters. Though most of the representatives of the 32 companies who purchased the downtown real estate in the past few years, few gave comment on their purchase and claimed Scientology wasnt a factor in the land buy. But Scientologist-controlled companies are also sitting on at least 26 vacant lots and 31 empty storefronts and offices. The memos were later seized by the FBI. 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. Scientologys international spiritual headquarters is anchored by the Flag Building, on left. He saw the area improve when police cracked down on drugs and prostitution decades ago. Your characterization that his religious affiliations somehow control his business activities is evidence of personal bias against his religion, Zaretsky wrote. Many of the properties werent on the market. We've got 2511 hotels to choose from within 5 miles of Church of Scientology. Although that arrangement is standard in real estate, it makes it impossible to know whether the properties are owned by the Scientologists who manage the companies, the wealthy church or another hidden party. commercial meat slicer rental near me. After the Times reported the purchases, Miscavige acknowledged the properties were bought for a second revitalization strategy one devised by the church. What is it like living amongst Scientologists in Clearwater - Quora They started hosting concerts on the waterfront that now draw thousands. I Am a Citizen of Clearwater. I Am a Scientologist. Instead, the aquarium sold it to the city in April 2017 for a lot less $4.25 million. ', '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. Times Staff WritersOct. It's GRAYGATE! He told Fischler that before Scientology bought the Fort Harrison Hotel in 1975 he worked there as a busboy. hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater. The few willing to answer questions said Scientology has no influence on their real estate dealings. But,so far, there have been only 4 comments posted to, It was fantastic stream! Most of the new owners have done little with their acquisitions. Both are supposed to open soon. It has terrorized defectors with private investigators, smear campaigns and relentless litigation. But companies controlled by different parishioners bought neighboring properties that create clear assemblages of land. MCMANUS: Right - because the city officials have said that there's only so many factors they control. Closed now : See all hours. Asked directly whether Scientology orchestrated or paid for any of the sales, the church did not answer. But David Kerr, a local real estate agent and parishioner, walked in one day with an offer. Businesses might see this city project and say, yeah, let me take a chance on downtown and open up a business. Agami also signed two more leases on the same block with restaurants owned by people not connected to the church. Fifty-eight are in the city of Clearwater and 49 are downtown. An empty Walgreens. Save. Share. 1,915 reviews. Theyve got one intention, and one intention only, De Vocht said. It bought a hotel and wrote plans to take control of the city. Log in, If the org slumps during this transition period, don't engage in "fund raising" This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Most did not respond or declined to comment. Karl Heinz Riedl, ("Chef Karl"), is the co-owner of Bon Appetit Group. or "selling postcards" or borrowing money. The Church of Scientology and companies run by its members spent $103 million over the past three years buying up vast sections of downtown Clearwater. In addition, more is planned to occur on the "Ides of march" (March 15th) Which also happens to be L. Ron Hubbard's . Shephard's Beach Resort - UPDATED 2023 Prices, Reviews & Photos Clearwater is home to one of the Church's most important bases, a campus called Flag (above), which Scientologists across the globe make pilgrimages to. Conspiracy theories are nothing new when it comes to the Church of Scientology. And Clearwater is home to one of the Church's most important bases, a campus called Flag, which established Scientologists from across the globe make pilgrimages to. But just how has the church expanded at such an alarming rate? A buyer, whose identity Chesney never learned, agreed to his asking price without countering $1 million cash for the adjoining parcels, which was four times the value set by the Pinellas County Property Appraiser. The Church told DailyMail.com: 'The Times article is simply the latest in its continuing and unending obsession with Scientology and is little more than self-serving propaganda intended to give the appearance of objective reporting without reporting the actual facts to the reader.'. Trending; . We believe it's important to shed light on a powerful institution that's very controversial and plays a big role in our community. Former parishioners say the church has a history of interfering in Scientologists downtown business. 'Theyve got one intention, and one intention only. Of the 100 properties bought by parishioner-managed companies near the downtown waterfront from 2017 to 2019, 24 storefronts and buildings remain empty, including a former Walgreens, an old jewelry store and prominent buildings along the North Fort Harrison corridor. Rice said hes been surprised that he has not been approached by brokers trying to buy his 10,000-square-foot building. You are a fundamentalist Scientologist, or youre not one at all.. Thats a factor we do not control, Delk said. They haven't started construction - or are they going to redevelop them and bring businesses in and contribute to a vibrant downtown? In those cases, four or more parcels purchased together clearly comprised a single piece of real estate. The Tampa Bay Times reports that members of the church have spent $103 million on property in the city of Clearwater known as "The first Scientology city" since 2016. Clearwater also has more vagrants. People arrive for the celebration of the opening of the new Scientology Flag Building on November 16, 2013 in Clearwater, Scientology boasts 10million followers, but surveys and accounts from former members suggest there are no more than 30,000 worldwide. In interviews, sellers said most of the transactions unfolded the same way. Of the $103 million spent, $99 million was paid in cash. Please consider supporting us with a tax-deductible donation to the Tampa Bay Times Investigative Fund. Today, 10 years later, the economic influence of Scientologists in the community is commensurately higher. Letsgetstarted. DeSantis takes over Disney The churchs hostility toward the public became clear from its first days in the city in fall 1975. Times reporters built a database of hundreds of properties in the center of Clearwaters downtown. '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. The stick out moment, is Tom Cruise auditing Marc, and failing., The live Q & A had great questions and answers. We profile several of them here. This month, Shahab Emrani was elected to the Downtown Development Board, which helps promote downtown. r/antiwork on Reddit: A CEO for a company in Clearwater , FL In 2018, Peter Lares got a call from Fischler, asking if hed sell the prominent building in the center of downtown that houses Emilys Restaurant. Visitors are expected to stay in Scientologys hotels and eat at private church restaurants. June 22, 2022; Posted by . At least eight businesses that got new landlords tied to Scientology moved out and have not been replaced. 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. Trish Duggan and the $114 Million in Clearwater Real Estate Purchases Just make more income with Scientology. Clearwater is a beautiful town and the downtown area is now a ghost town. The analysis considered property within the general boundaries of Cedar Street to the north, Missouri Avenue to the east, Chestnut Street to the south and the Intracoastal Waterway to the west. Seven businesses have left following recent purchases, and at least three more are leaving this year, including Clearwater Plumbing and Gulf Coast Marine. hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater. The history of Scientology in Clearwater, Florida - FSView KnowBe4 - Scientology is all I have to say, | Glassdoor All five City Council members said they doubted the rash of purchases were unrelated. After the City Council voted to buy the lot in April 2017, Miscavige refused to talk to city officials for the next two and a half years. Clearwater is the permanent home to more than 10,000 Scientology parishioners. MCMANUS: Brokers representing these companies were approaching downtown property owners. It is owned and operated by the Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization, Inc., a subsidiary of the Church of Scientology International . Reached at their condo, his wife declined to comment. Why Scientology not recruit Clearwater citizens - Aaron Smith-Levin 1 (727) 205-9357. The city and the church fought in court for years. Review. Born in Germany, he began his career at the Hotel Restaurant Melber, followed by the Four Seasons in Munich and the Hotel Kempinski in Berlin. Main Menu Gulf Coast Marine and ClearwaterPlumbing. Jim Warren has lived in Clearwater since 1995 with his wife, Cindy, and their two children, Drew and Art. Tracey McManus is a Scientology reporter for the paper, and she joins us now. Hayes, the attorney and parishioner involved in the rest of the North Marina purchases, was added as manager on the companies filings. The DeNunzio Group is affiliated with Maine Course Hospitality Group, which owns and operates 24 hotels in five states. Nearly two years after the properties were sold to a company run by two Scientologists, no redevelopment plans have been submitted. 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. It does not include properties recently bought by companies run by church members. TRACEY MCMANUS: Hi, Lulu. All together, 32 companies bought 92 downtown properties since 2017. No one from the church dictates to me what to buy, what to sell, what to do.. 307 S Myrtle Ave Frnt, Clearwater, FL 33756-5524 +1 727-446-3354 Website Menu. Take away the church footprint, a few condo towers and all buildings owned by the government. Has the Church of Scientology ever killed anyone? Scientology is all I have to say, There are no pros that unless you are a Scientologist. Scientologists in Clearwater. 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. Tyler Rice has run Carillon Flooring Center on North Fort Harrison for 30 years, the business his father started there in 1964. Scientology Businesses in Clearwater - Mike Rinder The family of Moises Agami, a developer whose companies bought 20 storefronts and a parking lot last year, has donated at least $10 million. 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.. What a difference in Mike from then and now., The Q&A session began at 2PM. But on days with no events, downtown feels deserted. Church of Scientology campus in Clearwater, Fla. mokee81/iStock The Church of Scientology, its members and companies controlled by its members have spent $103 million over the past three. Epstein declined to name his client but responded to questions from the Times with an affidavit declaring it was not the Church of Scientology. The city wants to turn downtown into a regional destination for food, drink and entertainment. How Scientology doubled its downtown Clearwater footprint in 3 years For the first time, a majority of the boards members will be Scientologists. According to court records, Andrus accompanied two guards as they handcuffed and gagged the man, dragged him into a car and drove him to a hideout, where he was held for a month before escaping. Has the Church of Scientology ever killed anyone? Fuster and Ozsan go back a long way to Altea Real Property Ltd. in London. But even when the church isnt in control, its presence can deter development. It said information in parishioner folders is sacrosanct and claims of blackmail have long since been disproven.. By then, he had found an auto garage he could buy in Dunedin. Theres no such thing in Scientology. Anonymous "members" have stated it was a great success with at least 3 Scientology members being arrested for assault, when the scientologists grabbed and attempted to remove protesters' masks. 'However, it hasnt always been clear to me as to just what does that actually mean.'. Paper: Scientologists buy dozens of properties in Clearwater srini devadas linkedin He walked away with nothing. 20 Best Hotels in Clearwater. Hotels from $104/night - KAYAK I think it throws a stake in it when one party owns 50 percent or so. When the council voted to buy the property, the chamber erupted in applause. 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? We own a tremendous amount of material and so forth, and it keeps growing. 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 as he looked at a map of downtowns new ownership. After the Times reported the purchases, Miscavige met with city officials and acknowledged the church acquired them as part of his plan to spend $55 million renovating downtown buildings and recruiting high-end retail to empty store fronts. Did you do your taxes? And it's also basically the financial nucleus of the entire organization. Looking at the Times map of the new ownership, City Council member David Allbritton recalled a moment from 2017 that now seems telling. There is nothing unnatural about Scientologists wanting to live in the same city that houses the international spiritual headquarters of their church, said a letter signed by Scientology attorney Gary Soter. Dalai Lama. About $15.9 million was paid in cash. Want more of our free, weekly newslettersinyourinbox? GARCIA-NAVARRO: Explain to me why the paper has a Scientology reporter. 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. You'll find plenty of sites, activities, and attractions to explore near our pet-friendly Clearwater hotel, including downtown Tampa and downtown St. Petersburg, which is only 30 minutes away, Celebration Station, Honeymoon Island State Park, Clearwater Beach, Caladesi Island State Park, and Busch Gardens. 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 Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination. In January and February 2017, as the council was preparing to approve the consultants concept, a handful of companies bought six commercial properties downtown. Mike Rinder, who led Scientologys intelligence arm before defecting in 2007, said any property owned by a parishioner is in the churchs control. The Church takes seriously its responsibility and interest in the future of the area. The Church is the largest property taxpayer in downtown Clearwater, paying nearly $1 million in property taxes last year. In six cases, buyers paid quadruple the propertys value. Scientology proposed a major redevelopment project meant to lure in new business to the empty stores in the citys waterfront area and near the churchs headquarters, but the council interfered, botching plans for a land deal that the church wanted for its expansion plan. Concerned he wouldnt be able to pay his mortgage, Argall said he deeded the building, appraised at $780,000, back to the previous owner. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. A lot of them are vacant lots, vacant buildings, empty storefronts.
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