Help us keep bringing stories like this to you. Hes still holding out. Times Staff WritersOct. Thats a factor we do not control, Delk said. The Boca Raton Beach Club. Andrus did not respond to an email, phone message, a note left at his office or a certified letter. Downtown Clearwater waterfront development proposals submitted - Tampa The Church's celebrity members Tom Cruise and John Travolta are known to have estates near Clearwater as well. Fischler, a local real estate agent, negotiated at least 10 of the downtown deals, according to interviews with sellers. Why does this matter? Why Scientology not recruit Clearwater citizens - Aaron Smith-Levin That's the findings of a story in the Tampa Bay Times that's headlined clear takeover. ARC Straightwire (ARC stands for affinity-reality-communication) ARC Fil Direct. Thirteen were existing tenants when he bought the properties. City Council member Mark Bunker said although the church is not the official buyer of the downtown and North Marina properties, there is reason to believe Scientology leader David Miscavige is orchestrating the parishioner-operated companies making the acquisitions. The church, its members and companies they control now own 185 properties that cover 101 acres in the center of downtown. In 2002, she was listed as an international deputy of a committee tasked with disseminating Scientology doctrine. And Scientology has an interest in keeping that insulated according to former executives that we've interviewed. Many of their properties weren't listed for sale. Many of the properties werent on the market. You might want to consider one of these options that are popular with our guests: Clearwater Beach Hotel - 1.8 mi (2.9 km) away 4-star hotel Free WiFi 3 restaurants Spa Central location Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach - 1.9 mi (3 km) away KnowBe4 - Scientology is all I have to say, | Glassdoor Because the city rebuffed Miscaviges offer, Bunker, who has advocated against alleged abuses in Scientology for 20 years, said he sees the parishioner-involved real estate purchases that followed as a vindictive and desperate play to interfere with Clearwaters revitalization efforts. hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater. In addition to a park and amphitheater, Imagine Clearwater also calls for several new projects on the waterfront with residences and retail. The church offered $15 million for the parcel. Seven businesses have left following recent purchases, and at least three more are leaving this year, including Clearwater Plumbing and Gulf Coast Marine. When the city was considering buying the aquariums lot, Miscavige threatened to stop communicating until the 2020 election, when term limits would force most of the council out of office. In summer 2017, Mark Searcy, a longtime Clearwater real estate agent who is not a Scientologist, assembled a 1-acre site by getting the owners of three adjoining properties to agree to sell. Miscaviges offer to revitalize downtown hinged on the city ending its attempt to buy one vacant lot on which the church was also bidding. 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. Clearwater, FL is the town literally owned by Scientologists, so checks out Reply . In Florida, limited liability companies that buy property are required to disclose administrative operators but not their owners. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. The WORST care homes in England: Interactive map reveals the lowest-rated 2,530 residences - so is there one 'I can still hear their cruel laughter': Dr Alex George bravely reveals he suffered with an eating disorder Matt Hancock discussed 'deploying' new virus variant to 'frighten the pants off everyone' as former Health 'So many dead. For the first time, a majority of the boards members will be Scientologists. I mean, how big is the Church of Scientology where you are? Visitors walk through downtown on a Friday. ^ ??? Nearly two years after the properties were sold to a company run by two Scientologists, no redevelopment plans have been submitted. Im concerned, Mayor Frank Hibbard said. Please consider supporting us with a tax-deductible donation to the Tampa Bay Times Investigative Fund. The family of Moises Agami, a developer whose companies bought 20 storefronts and a parking lot last year, has donated at least $10 million. Scientologists in Clearwater. Reached at their condo, his wife declined to comment. But after a dispute with the city, Miscavige cut communication. Closed now : See all hours. A deserted coin laundry. In the 70s, Andrus was named an unindicted co-conspirator in a Scientology plan to infiltrate the government. In a letter, the church said the Times is misinterpreting Scientology policy and that other religions also practice shunning. Over half are owned or operated by Scientologists. A scuffed copy of the Koran. Not so shipshape! Ron DeSantis on Monday undid a looming $1.2 billion tax hike on Central Florida residents that he inadvertently imposed a year ago in a hastily passed bill meant to punish Walt Disney Co. for criticizing his so-called "Don't Say Gay" law. Its like they are trying to control the whole thing.. The project broke ground in August and is aimed at helping bring businesses and foot traffic to the empty storefronts in the surrounding blocks. Review. Shephard's Beach Resort. The churchs influence comes from its massive wealth, estimated around $3billion in cash and assets, collected from devoted followers. GARCIA-NAVARRO: It's the type of servitude. Those six lots were bought in November 2020 by a limited liability company then-managed by an employee of CA South, a Nashville-based real estate firm founded by Megan Epstein and advised by her husband, Stephen Epstein, both members of Scientology. Non-Scientologists who get too close are a threat to the operation, said Mat Pesch, who spent 27 years in the Sea Org and worked as Flags treasury secretary before defecting in 2005. Its a business, Pesch said. They haven't started construction - or are they going to redevelop them and bring businesses in and contribute to a vibrant downtown? Answer (1 of 12): Openly, they tend to congregate around the area of downtown where they work and own most of the real estate. "Then we realized our hotel room must have been bugged." After bolting from the center, $23,000 poorer, the Rowes say, they were chased repeatedly by Scientologists on foot and in cars. 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. Scientology hasn't answered directly why they've taken over the Clearwater area, but skeptics say it's to keep the public away. The Imagine Clearwater project aims to transform the city-owned waterfront into a vibrant park with gardens, a concert green, a walkway with views of the Intracoastal Waterway and mixed-use projects. Scientology in Clearwater Big Brother is Watching You - Mike Rinder 'Typically, when people buy commercial real estate, they move forward with construction or redevelopment. But now these LLCs tied to Scientology control the retail district. The Church of Scientology has firmly made Clearwater, Floridaits home in the blink of an eye - shelling out $103million to sweep up 101 acres of the city's waterfront downtown area over the course of three years. 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. The only record of redevelopment that has occurred among the 45 properties is a roof replacement on a vacant building on North Fort Harrison Avenue and internal demolition in a former flooring center two blocks north, according to notices in Pinellas County records. Audited NOTs (NOT stands for NED [New Era Dianetics] Operating Thetan) 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. hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater hotels owned by 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. 275 reviews #24 of 428 Restaurants in Clearwater $ American Cafe Diner. (SOUNDBITE OF CHICK COREA'S "RETURN TO FOREVER"). Huestler said broker Terri Novitsky calls him every now and again to see if hed be interested in selling. Leading up to the waterfront, 22 of the first 33 buildings now have ties to Scientology. 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. 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. Flag is run by the churchs full-time workforce, the Sea Org, whose members sign billion-year contracts and work around the clock. The Times used the date that transactions were recorded in Clerk of Courts official record as the date of sale. He owns Stonebridge Real Estate and served as president of the Florida Gulfcoast Commercial Association of Realtors in 2017. Visitors are expected to stay in Scientologys hotels and eat at private church restaurants. Some landlords tied to Scientology have helped bring life to portions of downtown. Paper: Scientologists buy dozens of properties in Clearwater - WPTV Does scientology have a bible? - sdnimik.bluejeanblues.net 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? Share. Typically, when people buy commercial real estate, they move forward with construction or redevelopment. Investigative journalism like this is the most expensive work that we do. It was owned by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Report: Scientologists Spend $103 Million on Property in - Insider They cant even fix their own families. Terri Novitsky and Hayes did not return calls and emails requesting comment. 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 have completed courses and spiritual counseling that can cost tens of thousands of dollars. 3,594 Reviews . The city received an informal inquiry last year related to vacant land at the southeast corner of Seminole Street and North Fort Harrison Avenue. But its potential is still untapped, with prime vacant land overlooking Clearwater Harbor. All five City Council members said they doubted the rash of purchases were unrelated. GARCIA-NAVARRO: So tell me about these land purchases. In January and February 2017, a handful of limited liability companies bought six prime downtown parcels. Scientologists in Clearwater | Freedom Magazine in Clearwater 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. ', Freedom Magazine is a Scientology produced publication. The Travolta home. And inside those findings was a plan that Scientology operatives had created and written to establish area control. Some of the parishioners have a history of working on Scientologys behalf. In summer 2018, Fischler walked into Bob Lees Auto Repair on Park Street to make owner Dennis Bosi an offer. And our analysis found that these church officials were offering two, three, four times what the property appraiser said the properties were valued. [ The full history: Scientologys 40 years of conflict with the City of Clearwater, recapped ]. But Lee assumed the church was involved. Can you give me a sense of the scale and how they have made this happen with the relatively little fanfare over the years? Florida Hotels and Places to Stay. But far more non-Scientologists are moving out. The Times counted each parcel that was assigned a value by the property appraiser as a single property with five exceptions. Flag is what they call it, and it's the international spiritual headquarters of the church. hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater dr thomas horn wikipedia. Then,. 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. 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. In six cases, buyers made four times the propertys value deemed by the county property appraiser. walmart stabbing victim; google financial analyst salary london. They didnt say what they were going to do with them, and I never asked, said Chesney, who works as the citys marine and aviation department director. The church requires followers to shun family members, friends and business contacts who defy it. 10 Strange Deaths Connected to the Church of Scientology About 72 percent of those properties are tax exempt for religious uses. They came in under a fake name to buy the Fort Harrison Hotel, a historic hotel right in the center of downtown. Scientologys extraordinary influence over its members has been documented in government investigations and testimony from former parishioners throughout its 65-year history. Personal trainer, 22, describes what working in the fitness industry is like when you're curvy - and why Jon Jones vs Ciryl Gane - UFC 285 LIVE: Follow all the action from main card ahead of HUGE heavyweight PETER HITCHENS: Now we know for sure that our leaders lost their heads over Covid. Lares declined again when Fischler met him at a restaurant in Pinellas Park for lunch, and once more when she tried in May. The DeNunzio Group is affiliated with Maine Course Hospitality Group, which owns and operates 24 hotels in five states. 1 (727) 205-9357. That's the HQ of Scientology. 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. Real estate agent David Kerr represented a buyer that paid more than three times what a property was valued by the county property appraiser. The Church is the largest property taxpayer in downtown Clearwater, paying nearly $1 million in property taxes last year. Real estate agent Daphna Fischler brokered at least 10 downtown sales on behalf of seven buyers. Columnist Stephanie Hayes will share thoughts, feelings and funny business with you every Monday. By then, he had found an auto garage he could buy in Dunedin. They called it, quote, "little more than self-serving propaganda intended to give the appearance of objective reporting." 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. But his offer had a catch. Eventually, open tensions faded. June 22, 2022; Posted by . 1359 HOWARD STREET, Clearwater, FL, 33756 Point2
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