In Florida, limited liability companies that buy property are required to disclose administrative operators but not their owners. Toni Says: What is Medicares creditable prescription drug coverage? Scientologys survival depends on the preservation of its headquarters in Clearwater. Shahab and Catherine Emrani who manage companies that purchased four commercial buildings, retail space in a condo and vacant land have given at least $1.75 million to the church. ', '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. All together, 32 companies bought 92 downtown properties since 2017. Hes still holding out. That's the findings of a story in the Tampa Bay Times that's headlined clear takeover. But the couple isnt ready to let go. I thought this person was a cult member immediately . russia and china vs nato war who would win. MCMANUS: It kind of started in early 2017. Fischler did not respond to phone messages, a certified letter or a note left at her condo. 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. The family of Moises Agami, a developer whose companies bought 20 storefronts and a parking lot last year, has donated at least $10 million. ', Freedom Magazine is a Scientology produced publication. The lack of action from Scientology-tied buyers has precedent. [ The full history: Scientologys 40 years of conflict with the City of Clearwater, recapped ]. We profile several of them here. A few months later, the newcomers admitted they were actually Scientology. Paid in cash. Each had proposed major redevelopment projects, designed to lure new business into the empty storefronts that surround the city-owned waterfront and the churchs spiritual headquarters. Scientologists make up a diverse group in Clearwater. Florida Hotels and Places to Stay. It said information in parishioner folders is sacrosanct and claims of blackmail have long since been disproven.. We've got 2511 hotels to choose from within 5 miles of Church of Scientology. We believe it's important to shed light on a powerful institution that's very controversial and plays a big role in our community. And he was going to recruit high-end retail to some of the empty storefronts because downtown Clearwater's pretty depressed. The new owners also are sitting on about 30 undeveloped lots. Audited NOTs (NOT stands for NED [New Era Dianetics] Operating Thetan) Andrus did not respond to an email, phone message, a note left at his office or a certified letter. 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. 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. Zano did not respond to questions about what his plans for the properties. Hamilton, who owns the Palm Pavilion on Clearwater Beach, said if he was going to buy a piece of commercial property, then he would have plans for it before he acquired it and would head straight. Mike Rinder, who led Scientologys intelligence arm before defecting in 2007, said any property owned by a parishioner is in the churchs control. Scientologists from across the globe make pilgrimages to the campus, called Flag. The Jerry Maguire star recently purchased a two-storey penthouse in downtown Clearwater, Floridaclose to the Scientology HQ. Investigative journalism like this is the most expensive work that we do. Interactive map reveals when you may see SNOW, Kate Garraway reveals Derek's heartbreaking words when they thought he had just minutes left to live. 'I dont mix my personal business with other areas in my life,'Terri Novitsky, a Scientologist who manages a company that bought two office buildings on Chestnut Street in 2017, said. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the earth." DeSantis vetoed a $1M Day of Service program that was worth so much more | Column, DeSantis calls for open market to compete with Advanced Placement, Supreme Court weighs Biden student loan plan worth billions, Maple Leafs: Lightning, other division rivals did not spur deal, The youngest Grand Prix of St. Petersburg driver? 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. in positive and negative effects of coca cola. And the tactics they were using to establish area control included infiltration, spying, smearing enemies. The comments below have not been moderated. MCMANUS: Right - because the city officials have said that there's only so many factors they control. You will discover the facts for yourself when you read that article; it provides the real answer as to what has happened with downtown revitalizationand how that revitalization was torpedoed by the Times. Clearwater is the center of that revenue stream. Delk described the projects which require voter approval as key to the plans success. Typically, when people buy commercial real estate, they move forward with construction or redevelopment. Miscaviges offer to revitalize downtown hinged on the city ending its attempt to buy one vacant lot on which the church was also bidding. 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 impact is clearest in the heart of downtown. Andrus helped carry out a plan to stop a Scientologist who had spied on the federal government from turning himself in to the FBI. 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. Operatives framed the mayor in a staged hit-and-run and spread false rumors he was having an extramarital affair. He had committed to downtown in 1997. Take away the church footprint, a few condo towers and all buildings owned by the government. They came in under a fake name to buy the Fort Harrison Hotel, a historic hotel right in the center of downtown. The church also targeted the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Justice and scores of foreign governments. When I have to go to that area, and see them in crowds moving from building to building doing their work ( whatever that is) I think of cockroaches, like whatever you do . 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. 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.. Big Brother is a character and symbol that represents a society where every citizen is under constant surveillance, constantly reminded of this by the slogan "Big . Epstein declined to name his client but responded to questions from the Times with an affidavit declaring it was not the Church of Scientology. 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. 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. City officials say their dedication to redeveloping the waterfront hasnt changed. Oddly enough, half of those properties werent on sale and half of the sales went for more than double the propertys actual value. Scientology founderL. Ron Hubbard called Clearwater its spiritual headquarters. He promoted the site to about 75 hoteliers and developers across the country. The analysis did not include residential parcels except in cases where they were bought in conjunction with commercial property or vacant land. It does not include properties recently bought by companies run by church members. '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 churchs hostility toward the public became clear from its first days in the city in fall 1975. 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? Tampa Bay Times reporter Tracey McManus has spent the last four years writing about Scientology and the churchs relationship with the city of Clearwater. Thats a factor we do not control, Delk said. The church, its members and companies they control now own 185 properties that cover 101 acres in the center of downtown. The other side of that is flag is run by the Sea Org, the Scientology's full-time workforce. Agami also signed two more leases on the same block with restaurants owned by people not connected to the church. L Ron Hubbard From HCOPL URGENT ORG PROGRAMMING, "We own a tremendous amount of property. DeSantis vetoed a $1M Day of Service program that was worth so much more | Column, DeSantis calls for open market to compete with Advanced Placement, Supreme Court weighs Biden student loan plan worth billions, Maple Leafs: Lightning, other division rivals did not spur deal, The youngest Grand Prix of St. Petersburg driver? In 1975, Scientology creator L. Ron Hubbard bought a historic hotel in downtown Clearwater. And the properties cover about 100 acres. In interviews, sellers said most of the transactions unfolded the same way. But they werent ready to sell the building, which they had owned for 27 years. Project Normandy was described in one of hundreds of internal memos Scientology officials exchanged about their plans to infiltrate and control Clearwater. Scientology boasts 10million followers, but surveys and accounts from former members suggest there are no more than 30,000 worldwide. But his offer had a catch. 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. Thank you for having us. There's parishioners that come here from all over the world to take courses in high level auditing that's not offered anywhere else. 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. But,so far, there have been only 4 comments posted to, It was fantastic stream! This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Chef Karl has held positions at the Bermuda Carlton Beach Hotel, and Royal Orleans Hotel in New Orleans. Hes starting to assemble properties, Allbritton said. They include consumer products, a lighting manufacturer, development firms, fitness, advertising and marketing, environmental services and financial advisers. Llmenos para una consulta. The Church's celebrity members Tom Cruise and John Travolta are known to have estates near Clearwater as well. 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. The church has amassed 60 properties in Pinellas County since arriving in 1975. This one is owned by a parishioner who had been featured on the churchs Meet a Scientologist video series. Click here to read the story. Review. The few that chose to speak on selling their property said they were approached by a Scientologist who made offers and paid in cash. Scientology leader David Miscavige told city officials the properties were part of the churchs proposed retail redevelopment plan. 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. Discover a selection of more than 10,000 vacation rentals near Church of Scientology, Clearwater that are perfect for your trip. Hi, this is Stu, KnowBe4's CEO. But many of those purchased properties remain shuttered or in disuse. This month, Shahab Emrani was elected to the Downtown Development Board, which helps promote downtown. By then, he had found an auto garage he could buy in Dunedin. A few weeks later, John Yarbrough sold the building where he had run his electrical services business for 22 years. MCMANUS: Scientology arrived in downtown Clearwater in 1975. 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.. Scientology is a snitching culture and it's deeply embedded.) Facebook. From $150.62 per night. The Mission: Impossible - Fallout star plans to call an elaborate penthouse, complete with a private swimming pool and garden, his new home. The churchs campus grew slowly over decades. Local Scientology spokesman Ben Shaw and international spokeswoman Karin Pouw did not respond to repeated requests by the Times for an interview with Scientology leader David Miscavige. Please consider supporting us with a tax-deductible donation to the Tampa Bay Times Investigative Fund. GARCIA-NAVARRO: So tell me about these land purchases. They were very secretive, he said. GARCIA-NAVARRO: What do you mean billion year contracts? In addition to a park and amphitheater, Imagine Clearwater also calls for several new projects on the waterfront with residences and retail. These workers sign billion year contracts, are paid very little, work around the clock. A scuffed copy of the Koran. Companies tied to the Church of Scientology paid millions in cash for 45 properties near downtown with no major plans in sight. But in the 70s, Andrus was named an unindicted co-conspirator in Scientologys government espionage scheme, which sent 11 Scientologists to federal prison. 325 . Tracey McManus is a Scientology reporter for the paper, and she joins us now. Has the Church of Scientology ever killed anyone? Businesses without ties to the church are moving into a few of those. Fischler, a local real estate agent, negotiated at least 10 of the downtown deals, according to interviews with sellers. The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination. 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. MCMANUS: Brokers representing these companies were approaching downtown property owners. Hillsborough forms had errors, 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. Once we dug into the data and pulled records, we found that LLCs tied to the Church of Scientology had bought about 100 properties. 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. But Scientologist-controlled companies are also sitting on at least 26 vacant lots and 31 empty storefronts and offices. But the aquarium rejected his bid in order to sell it to the city for $4.25 million. The gallery does not include properties bought by companies run by church members. The Church of Scientologyh first landed in Clearwater in 1975 with one hotel property to its name, but the organization had elaborate plans to spread its reach across the entire downtown area, In just three years, starting with a frantic land grab in January 2017, Scientology doubled its footprint in the city, The Church of Scientology doubled its footprint in Clearwater, Florida in a matter of just three years after shelling out $103million to snatch up 185 properties that cover 101 acres of the city's downtown area. 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. In six cases, buyers made four times the propertys value deemed by the county property appraiser. Columnist Stephanie Hayes will share thoughts, feelings and funny business with you every Monday. Its members bought property on surrounding blocks. The Church of Scientology acquired the building in 2017 as part of its downtown redevelopment plan. The city wants to turn downtown into a regional destination for food, drink and entertainment. City officials are suspicious that the church could be planning to do something with the land they now posses. Toni Says: What is Medicares creditable prescription drug coverage? The city has no record yet of redevelopment plans being submitted for any of the North Marina properties since the purchases began, according to planning and development director Gina Clayton. wolf trace homes for sale; The Fort Harrison Hotel is located steps from Clearwater City Hall, close to the downtown waterfront area,. by . Hes encouraged by city investments in the boat ramp and North Ward Elementary, and holds out hope that the undeveloped lots and dilapidated homes will be replaced with something vibrant. 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. The campus collects millions each week through fundraising and payments for expensive courses and high-level religious counseling not offered anywhere else. Has the Church of Scientology ever killed anyone? Its designed not for recruiting new members but for hosting established followers.