It appears that Project Normandy is still operational. A few months later, the newcomers admitted they were actually Scientology. And the tactics they were using to establish area control included infiltration, spying, smearing enemies. The church has amassed 60 properties in Pinellas County since arriving in 1975. In Florida, limited liability companies that buy property are required to disclose administrative operators but not their owners. How much of Clearwater is owned by Scientology? 1. A deserted coin laundry. The church attracts members through a theology of self improvement and understanding. Companies controlled by Hayes have bought about half the property on Rices block and nearly the entire block directly south. For example, David Miscaviges personal lawyer of 35 years Monique Yingling has never been a Scientologist. Why does this matter? Half the properties were bought since January 2017. Coincident with this Riley-registered RSR Capital Advisors as an LLC in Florida on March 21, 2022. Dozens of residents showed up to speak. 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. It would be the same if I was a (proud) Christian, Jew, or Muslim. 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. On Sept. 7, Epsteins employee was removed from the corporate filings of the company that own the land. The city received an informal inquiry last year related to vacant land at the southeast corner of Seminole Street and North Fort Harrison Avenue. Assistant City Manager Michael Delk said the citys priority is turning the spectacular land it owns into a community destination, no matter who owns the private property around it. I saw a business opportunity, he said. Copyright 2023 MarketWatch, Inc. All rights reserved. The Times described sales as cash transactions when they were paid without a mortgage filed in public records. He took over Bob Lees Auto to continue the business legacy and served on the Downtown Development Board for a decade. 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. Former parishioners say the church has a history of interfering in Scientologists downtown business. 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 would ask that you clarify the reference to CBRE. The Times used the date that transactions were recorded in Clerk of Courts official record as the date of sale. That company has had no connection to Coldwell Banker for decades. Getty. The churchs influence comes from the estimated $3 billion in cash and assets it has collected from its followers. Scientology leader David Miscavige had his own redevelopment plan. The church offered $15 million for the parcel. GARCIA-NAVARRO: What do you mean billion year contracts? If the council in 2020 isnt on board with doing something his way, hes going to do it himself.. His attorney, Louis Zaretsky, wrote in a letter to the Times that Zano is a businessman with vast real estate holdings in Israel, Germany, Poland, New York and Florida who makes investments based on his belief that they will appreciate or otherwise contribute to his long-term goals.. Nearly two years after the properties were sold to a company run by two Scientologists, no redevelopment plans have been submitted. But his offer had a catch. The owner of a nationwide company that makes and markets aloe vera skin cream. 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. But the promised downtown revival never came. Another tell. New details about the case of Lisa McPherson, who died in the care of Scientologists, from the executive who directed the Church of Scientologys handling of the case. The church, its members and companies they control now own 185 properties that cover 101 acres in the center of downtown. Both have been there for decades. Originally founded in 1955, we are the oldest Scientology Church in Australia. Ozsan has had a residence in London since 2001. In 2017 the church acquired six downtown Clearwater retail properties through limited liability companies. Florida migrant flights lawsuit dismissed in wake of Legislature passing law, Editorial Cartoons for Thursday from Times Wire Services, Bucs new coordinator is confident! 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. (SOUNDBITE OF CHICK COREA'S "RETURN TO FOREVER"). And our analysis found that these church officials were offering two, three, four times what the property appraiser said the properties were valued. 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. Brian Andrus controls companies that last year bought a marina on N Osceola Avenue and six nearby properties, all bordering a redevelopment project at the citys public boat ramp. Do I spend another 10 years and see what happens in downtown Clearwater?, Scientology, Pinellas County and Clearwater Reporter. Now, companies connected to the Church of Scientology are buying tracts of land within the 55-acre district and not disclosing what they plan to do with them. ANTIFRAGILE LIMITED Copyright 2019 NPR. Bosi wasnt interested. Gulf Coast Marine and ClearwaterPlumbing. This month, Shahab Emrani was elected to the Downtown Development Board, which helps promote downtown. I believe its irrational to buy property and not fully utilize it.. But now these LLCs tied to Scientology control the retail district. Philip Kirkpatrick, Clearwaters senior economic development coordinator, said Stephen Epstein spoke with city officials in December about a potential commercial and multifamily project on the site. She reported full-time for six months, interviewing more than 90 people and reviewing more than 1,000 documents, to bring you this story. Write by: . It teaches that expanding Scientology is key to saving the world, then wields a system of totalitarian policies to keep parishioners in line. They have control over what businesses, if any, come in. Rodney Riley is the CEO of RSR Capital Advisors in Clearwater, Florida. 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, Horne said. Howd that go? And he was going to recruit high-end retail to some of the empty storefronts because downtown Clearwater's pretty depressed. Mayor Jane Castors partner vowed not to lobby the city. 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. 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. You have some buyers here that their motivations are not really clear, he said, so its tough to make economic sense out of it.. 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. Many of the properties werent on the market. Thats a factor we do not control, Delk said. . Fischler, a local real estate agent, negotiated at least 10 of the downtown deals, according to interviews with sellers. One of these accounts shows discretionary assets of $134.77 million. In 2002, she was listed as an international deputy of a committee tasked with disseminating Scientology doctrine. 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. Real estate agent Brian Andrus controls seven properties bought around the citys public boat ramp. According to a new report by The Tampa Bay Times, the Church of Scientology and related entities now own over $260 million of property in downtown Clearwater. If so, it's technically possible with a home IPO. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Just out of curiosity, when you say the tactics that they used in the '70s, what were those? Richard Tobias, an independent real estate appraiser in Pinellas County, said vast purchases of downtown real estate by entities tied to Scientology have cast confusion over the market. My plan is to keep renting, Huestler said. 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. About 72 percent of those properties are tax exempt for religious uses. 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. He wanted the council to stop trying to buy a vacant lot on which the church was also bidding. We interpret it as the Tampa Bay Times getting too close for Mr. Epsteins comfort. The analysis did not include residential parcels except in cases where they were bought in conjunction with commercial property or vacant land. ( magazine) Applied Philosophy ARC Straightwire (ARC stands for affinity-reality-communication) ARC Fil Direct Audited NOTs (NOT stands for NED [New Era Dianetics] Operating Thetan) The Auditor Where did all that money come from? And half the sales were for more than double what the properties were valued by the county property appraiser, the Times found. And the Times found that in six cases buyers paid quadruple a propertys value. Scientologys extraordinary influence over its members has been documented in government investigations and testimony from former parishioners throughout its 65-year history. They paid $26 million. We reported at that time that a handful of limited liability companies bought about six downtown properties, and Scientology leader David Miscavige had presented a retail plan to two city staff officials. They doubled the churchs footprint in less than three years. Most of the sales have not previously been reported. Holding and president of Graymoss, Inc. [27] The architectural firm HOK was hired to deliver the project. 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. So we kept our eye on the downtown purchases. Nearly all of the roughly two dozen people listed as operating the companies are Scientologists. He publicly asked why there were security cards with billy clubs and mace on the roof. They have completed courses and spiritual counseling that can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Seventy-one percent of the 60 parcels the Church of Scientology owns under its name in Pinellas County are tax-exempt for religious purposes. Since arriving in Clearwater in 1975, the Church of Scientology has purchased 60 properties in Pinellas County under its name. (Guess he hasnt seen the game tapes), US Supreme Court refuses to block Florida execution of Donald Dillbeck, Red-hot USF women close out home schedule with explosive offensive showing, Editorial Cartoons for Thursday from Times Wire Services, 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. 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. Please! The church acquired three others in a land swap. Delk described the projects which require voter approval as key to the plans success. Internal church documents detailed missions that planted spies in the state attorneys office, the Chamber of Commerce and the Clearwater Sun newspaper. You are a fundamentalist Scientologist, or youre not one at all.. Times reporters built a database of hundreds of properties in the center of Clearwaters downtown. CONNIE HUMBURG, TRACEY McMANUS, ELI MURRAY, ELI ZHANG | Times. Disloyalty has life-changing consequences. But in the 70s, Andrus was named an unindicted co-conspirator in Scientologys government espionage scheme, which sent 11 Scientologists to federal prison. Church officials used a straw corporation to buy the historic Fort Harrison Hotel and moved in under a fake name. In private meetings with council members, the Scientology leader described a plan for high-end shops, Cleveland Street facade renovations and an entertainment complex involving actor Tom Cruise, Scientologys most famous parishioner. Melitta electrics and accessories are manufactured, marketed and distributed under a licensing agreement. Rileys Clearwater Marina District development has a $350 million price tag on it. businesses owned by scientologistsdoes keegan allen have a child 26th February 2023 / in west warwick viewpoint / by / in west warwick viewpoint / by There is ZERO chance of me getting sucked in. It was a very turbulent time. Clearwater is the permanent home to more than 10,000 Scientology parishioners. 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. 20, 2019. An empty Walgreens. 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