But companies controlled by different parishioners bought neighboring properties that create clear assemblages of land. The lack of action from Scientology-tied buyers has precedent. It is a big faux pas in business PR to bring up the subject of religion when it is absolutely unnecessary to do so. Church officials used a straw corporation to buy the historic Fort Harrison Hotel and moved in under a fake name. 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? The churchs campus grew slowly over decades. Council members were less delighted by the discovery, however especially since many of the lots and storefronts purchased by owners with Scientology ties are sitting vacant while the Clearwater City Council aims to turn the downtown waterfront into a dining and entertainment destination. Write by: . Four high-ranking defectors describe bizarre behavior and physical beatings inflicted by Scientology leader David Miscavige. MCMANUS: Scientology arrived in downtown Clearwater in 1975. That company has had no connection to Coldwell Banker for decades. 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. Taking into account these denials, we now have a new opinion to offer our readers. Most religions have a fundamentalist wing, Rinder said. Melitta coffee filters are manufactured in Clearwater, Florida. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. On Sept. 7, Epsteins employee was removed from the corporate filings of the company that own the land. Its too soon to say how the shift in ownership will affect 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 told the paper. In six cases, buyers paid quadruple the propertys value. CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) A newspaper report says the Church of Scientology and companies run by its members spent more than $100 million over the past . In North America, Melitta is the leading brand of coffee filters. The Church of Scientology, its members and companies controlled by its members have spent $103 million over the past three years buying retail property in downtown Clearwater, Fla., according to the Tampa Bay Times. I believe its irrational to buy property and not fully utilize it.. The Church of Scientology acquired the building in 2017 as part of its downtown redevelopment plan. During spiritual counseling, parishioners are interrogated about their deepest secrets, which are recorded in folders and stored indefinitely. Rod Riley has no background in Scientology. The new owners also are sitting on about 30 undeveloped lots. But its potential is still untapped, with prime vacant land overlooking Clearwater Harbor. MCMANUS: The reason Scientology has such an outsized influence is because of the cash and assets it has, which is estimated to be $3 billion. Clarification made on CBRE and thank you for pointing that out. After FBI raids uncovered the infiltrations, city officials launched their own investigations. ARKWRIGHT ROAD LIMITED Thirteen were existing tenants when he bought the properties. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with reporter Tracey McManus. City officials say their dedication to redeveloping the waterfront hasnt changed. I had to make a decision, Bosi said. Weve spent a lot of happy years here, Lares said. We also hold the distinction of being the first Scientology Church in the Southern Hemisphere. And yes, everyone that works here is asked to keep politics and religion out . 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. The property wasnt on the market. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email along with 7129 other subscribers. Most of the new owners have done little with their acquisitions. Then in 2017, companies controlled by parishioners began buying retail property at an unprecedented rate. During that period, downtown purchases by limited liability companies managed by members of Scientology accelerated. 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. Huestler said broker Terri Novitsky calls him every now and again to see if hed be interested in selling. (CBRE) in April 2016. In a letter to the Times, the church denied it ever tried to take control of the city. Rodney Riley is an interesting character in this whole thing. They spent $6.5 million to renovate the public Seminole Boat Ramp, a popular centerpiece seen as a sign of the citys commitment. The church also targeted the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Justice and scores of foreign governments. Some of the parishioners have a history of working on Scientologys behalf. Candidates and Scientologists Emrani, Kintzel and . Fischler did not respond to phone messages, a certified letter or a note left at her condo. Since July 2019, eight limited liability companies managed or operatedby members of the church have bought 45 properties in North Marina, including Chesneys. Advance! 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. However, it hasnt always been clear to me as to just what does that actually mean.. He shows up in Clearwater from Arizona a few months ago. Then the council interfered with a land deal that Scientology demanded for its plan. Investigative journalism like this is the most expensive work that we do. When the council voted to buy the property, the chamber erupted in applause. VIDEO: Finally, Scientific Proof that Scientologys Body Thetans Cannot Exist! He owns Stonebridge Real Estate and served as president of the Florida Gulfcoast Commercial Association of Realtors in 2017. Over half are owned or operated by Scientologists. Then he would try again, with new council members. Much of downtown Clearwater is now owned by people or companies tied to Scientology, a report finds. Instead, the aquarium sold it to the city in April 2017 for a lot less $4.25 million. Epstein declined to name his client but responded to questions from the Times with an affidavit declaring it was not the Church of Scientology. Both have been there for decades. GARCIA-NAVARRO: And I guess the larger concern is that this could really thwart the city's plans for redevelopment if the Scientologist organizations are going to have all this property that they're going to keep for their own purposes. We interpret it as the Tampa Bay Times getting too close for Mr. Epsteins comfort. 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. The 1.4 acre lot was across the street from City Hall and adjacent to a 13-story Scientology religious retreat. In 2016, city consultants began planning what has become a $64 million effort to reinvigorate the waterfront called Imagine Clearwater. They doubled the churchs footprint in less than three years. For example, David Miscaviges personal lawyer of 35 years Monique Yingling has never been a Scientologist. Real estate agent Brian Andrus controls seven properties bought around the citys public boat ramp. 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.It is owned and operated by the Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization, Inc., a subsidiary of the Church of Scientology International.. And half the sales were for more than double what the properties were valued by the county property appraiser, the Times found. In addition to a park and amphitheater, Imagine Clearwater also calls for several new projects on the waterfront with residences and retail. It set aside $10 million for secret real estate purchases in Clearwater. Click here to read the story. 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. Do I spend another 10 years and see what happens in downtown Clearwater?, Scientology, Pinellas County and Clearwater Reporter. We don't know what they're planning to do with the properties. Visit a quote page and your recently viewed tickers will be displayed here. Clearwater is the center of that revenue stream. In mid-2018, one year before the string of North Marina purchases took off, a company controlled by developer Brian Andrus, a longtime member of Scientology, bought the private marina next to the citys Seminole Boat Ramp. [1] Hes starting to assemble properties, Allbritton said. In 2017 the church acquired six downtown Clearwater retail properties through limited liability companies. Most did not respond or declined to comment. Norm Novitsky hung up when asked by a reporter about the companies plans. All five City Council members said they doubted the rash of purchases were unrelated. 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. Its important for me to communicate with the Scientologists in Clearwater and have that ability to work side-by-side, Riley said, also noting he is now based in Clearwater. Rileys Clearwater Marina District development has a $350 million price tag on it. Soters comment evokes for us what Captain Renault said in Casablanca: Im shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!. His job appears to be one of a PR guy who can appeal to Clearwater City Government. Nearly all of the properties were bought through limited liability companies, which are required to disclose their operators but not their owners. There is no discrimination for or against *any* religion. Scientologys survival depends on the preservation of its headquarters in Clearwater. This is the Church of Hyper-Surveillance that knows everything about the private and business lives of its members; their social media activities; and even what they did in their past lives. 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. This is a very interesting report. A broker is trying to buy the building Peter and Emily Lares have owned for decades. Gentile also purchased several Clearwater companies owned by Scientologists who may have invested the proceeds into land deals. And it's also basically the financial nucleus of the entire organization. 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. After leaving Caliber Wells, Rodney Riley began working with Megan and Stephen Epstein. They haven't started construction - or are they going to redevelop them and bring businesses in and contribute to a vibrant downtown? Some have donated millions to the church. In September, Andrus completed construction there on Marina Bay 880, two towers that hug the marina with 87 luxury condos and amenities like an Olympic-sized pool and sauna. In her November 2021 article on Scientologists buying land in Clearwater, Tracey McManus wrote (emphasis ours): The city received an informal inquiry last year related to vacant land at the southeast corner of Seminole Street and North Fort Harrison Avenue. In the world of scientologywhere anything goes and all laws in the wog world by damnedits Christmas 24/7. In response to detailed memos summarizing the reporting, the church criticized the Times for portraying its members as mindless robots and for having a preconceived agenda to present every Scientology story in a false and unfavorable light.. GARCIA-NAVARRO: It's the type of servitude. In response, the Tampa Bay Times received a letter signed by Scientology attorney Gary Soter that read: There is nothing unnatural about Scientologists wanting to live in the same city that houses the international spiritual headquarters of their church. 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. Good luck on that. businesses owned by scientologistsdoes keegan allen have a child 26th February 2023 / in west warwick viewpoint / by / in west warwick viewpoint / by Over the past two years, the properties surrounding the shop have been sold to Scientologist-controlled companies. If you are looking for a career where your coworkers and leadership care about you and your success, AMI is the right place! GARCIA-NAVARRO: What is the view of the local community? The churchs influence comes from the estimated $3 billion in cash and assets it has collected from its followers. MCMANUS: Well, our reporting shows that Scientology has a big interest in preserving its downtown campus. Almost all of the properties were quietly bought through limited liability companies required to disclose their operators but not their owners as is pretty standard in real estate. The more its isolated and doesnt have people who are non-Scientologists around the area, the better.. 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. 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. They haven't submitted redevelopment plans. 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. I dont mix my personal business with other areas in my life, said Terri Novitsky, a Scientologist who manages a company that bought two office buildings on Chestnut Street in 2017. Almost immediately, a decades-long trickle of purchases by church members turned into a flood. Clearwater is the permanent home to more than 10,000 Scientology parishioners. Rodney Riley is the CEO of RSR Capital Advisors in Clearwater, Florida. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Im concerned, Mayor Frank Hibbard said. In her bombshell 2019 news story Clear Takeover, Tracey McManus revealed that $103 million in Downtown Clearwater land purchases were made by a series of LLC's owned by Scientologists. [ The full history: Scientologys 40 years of conflict with the City of Clearwater, recapped ]. Today, 10 years later, the economic influence of Scientologists in the community is commensurately higher. Hes still holding out. Reporters analyzed thousands of rows of data and pulled more than 1,000 records from the Pinellas County Property Appraiser, the Pinellas County Clerk of Court and the Florida Division of Corporations. DEUTERIUM INVESTMENT ADVISORS LIMITED The family of Moises Agami, a developer whose companies bought 20 storefronts and a parking lot last year, has donated at least $10 million. Construction on eight townhomes on the south end of the marina began Oct. 1, according to county records. Then walk down Cleveland Street downtowns main artery. Scientologists annually contribute $87,867,000 to charitable endeavors, money that uplifts the quality of life in Clearwater. He wanted the council to stop trying to buy a vacant lot on which the church was also bidding. There is ZERO chance of me getting sucked in. 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. In the 70s, Andrus was named an unindicted co-conspirator in a Scientology plan to infiltrate the government. Trickle of purchases by church members turned into a flood the council voted to property. Damnedits Christmas 24/7 on eight townhomes on the waterfront hasnt changed, Pinellas County and reporter... 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