Most of the sales have not previously been reported. 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 churchs international spiritual headquarters, then left many of those buildings vacant and lots undeveloped. The Church of Scientology offered $15 . Hubbard had a vision of making Clearwater a spiritual home for his Church of Scientology. 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 Clearwater. The more its isolated and doesnt have people who are non-Scientologists around the area, the better.. I think it throws a stake in it when one party owns 50 percent or so. The city, meanwhile, moved ahead on its now-$84 million Imagine Clearwater project, a plan to transform the city-owned downtown waterfront with an outdoor amphitheater, a garden, bluff walk and plaza. Many of the properties werent on the market. They cant even fix their own families. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. Dozens of residents showed up to speak. Oddly enough, half of those properties werent on sale and half of the sales went for more than double the propertys actual value. It has terrorized defectors with private investigators, smear campaigns and relentless litigation. Florida Hotels and Places to Stay. Nearly all of the roughly two dozen people listed as operating the companies are Scientologists. Did you do your taxes? In 1975, Scientology creator L. Ron Hubbard bought a historic hotel in downtown Clearwater. Cruise, 56, is moving into a multimillion-dollar penthouse apartment at The SkyView, a 10 . Norm Novitsky hung up when asked by a reporter about the companies plans. In Florida, limited liability companies that buy property are required to disclose administrative operators but not their owners. Scientologists in Clearwater. 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. Another Scientologist, Rick Argall, owned a building on downtowns Garden Avenue that housed six Scientologist-run businesses, including a chiropractic clinic he operated with a fellow church member. Hillsborough forms had errors, companies tied to Scientology bought 100 properties, Winter the dolphin died of twisted intestines, necropsy report confirms. CONNIE HUMBURG, TRACEY McMANUS, ELI MURRAY, ELI ZHANG | Times. The Fort Harrison Hotel is located steps from Clearwater City Hall, close to the downtown waterfront area,. I thought this person was a cult member immediately . Lares and his wife, Emily, sold the diner inside a decade ago. hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater. 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. No one from the church dictates to me what to buy, what to sell, what to do.. Huestler said broker Terri Novitsky calls him every now and again to see if hed be interested in selling. Its members bought property on surrounding blocks. 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. Police were quick to respond. He wanted the council to stop trying to buy a vacant lot on which the church was also bidding. And the tactics they were using to establish area control included infiltration, spying, smearing enemies. Fischler offered Bosi $1.4 million, almost three times what the property was valued. I mean, how big is the Church of Scientology where you are? Through a spokesperson, Epstein said in an email that CA South looked into developing the properties on behalf of a client but walked away when the city did not relax a rule prohibiting a parking lot level facing North Fort Harrison Avenue. But on the notice filed with Pinellas County for the roof replacement at 801 N Fort Harrison Ave., Andrus signed his name as a manager of the company that owns the building. Scientology has said it has 10 million followers, but surveys and accounts from former members suggest there are no more than 30,000 worldwide. This one is owned by a parishioner who had been featured on the churchs Meet a Scientologist video series. It was owned by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Four high-ranking defectors describe bizarre behavior and physical beatings inflicted by Scientology leader David Miscavige. GARCIA-NAVARRO: So tell me about these land purchases. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. By then, the churchs intelligence unit was already deploying an elaborate scheme to establish area control in the city. Scientologys extraordinary influence over its members has been documented in government investigations and testimony from former parishioners throughout its 65-year history. City officials plan to partner with a developer on ways to adapt the red brick schoolhouse, like turning it into a hub for restaurants, retail, or apartments. 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. Discover a selection of more than 10,000 vacation rentals near Church of Scientology, Clearwater that are perfect for your trip. They called it, quote, "little more than self-serving propaganda intended to give the appearance of objective reporting." And he was going to build an entertainment complex with Tom Cruise. One of the factors they do control is the waterfront land that's protected by city charter, that they are in the middle of a $64 million plan right now to redesign and develop into a park with gardens and a concert venue. Delk described the projects which require voter approval as key to the plans success. Then,. Why does this matter? The Church's celebrity members Tom Cruise and John Travolta are known to have estates in Clearwater not far from the Scientology headquarters. Did you check your W-2? In this way Scientologists were able to buy properties without companies knowing they were behind it. They haven't started construction - or are they going to redevelop them and bring businesses in and contribute to a vibrant downtown? Ive been waiting for this neighborhood to clean up for 30 years, and I still think its around the corner, Rice said. 325 . I had to make a decision, Bosi said. 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). 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. In those cases, four or more parcels purchased together clearly comprised a single piece of real estate. 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. Construction on eight townhomes on the south end of the marina began Oct. 1, according to county records. Some have donated millions to the church. The companies paid a combined $11.8 million in cash for 28 undeveloped parcels, five empty commercial buildings and a dozen homes in the district, most of them dilapidated. 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. The majority of this property now stands vacant, and given the Church's tax exempt status, has limitless potential for development. The city and the church fought in court for years. The most widely publicized death of one of 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 1995.. What religion is Scientology similar to? We profile several of them here. Scientologists from across the globe make pilgrimages to the campus, called Flag. He walked away with nothing. Shephard's Beach Resort. The Church didn't comment on whether Scientology orchestrated or paid for any of the real estate sales. GARCIA-NAVARRO: It's the type of servitude. Inc. magazine's 2019 report on the 5,000 fastest-growing privately owned businesses in America cites 16 firms based in Clearwater. I believe its irrational to buy property and not fully utilize it.. You are told not to discuss politics or religion and one of the first things out of the CEO's mouth is that he is a Scientologist. The pattern of Scientology-tied companies buying so many properties and sitting on them flies in the face of most land economics, said Tobias, who has been appraising property in Pinellas County for 50 years. Were she in Utah, would the Times intrepid reporter have headlined that 'Mormons are buying up property in downtown Salt Lake City!' Scientology in Clearwater Big Brother is Watching You. Yarbrough never learned the buyers identity. The campus collects millions each week through fundraising and payments for expensive courses and high-level religious counseling not offered anywhere else. None of the other parishioners whose companies bought property since 2017 responded to questions about their plans. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Who are they buying from, and how much were they offering? Among other things, Ozsan is, according to our source, Trish Duggan's money manager. Minkoff had his medical license suspended for a year after it . That point is brought home in an editorial ('One Community, Many Good People' ) in the new edition of our Freedom Magazine.