Tom De Vocht, a former Scientology executive who oversaw the churchs property in Clearwater from 1996 to 2001, said he believes Scientology is responding to the citys efforts by creating a buffer to keep the public away. 275 reviews #24 of 428 Restaurants in Clearwater $ American Cafe Diner. GARCIA-NAVARRO: What is the view of the local community? She reported full-time for six months, interviewing more than 90 people and reviewing more than 1,000 documents, to bring you this story. Project Normandy was described in one of hundreds of internal memos Scientology officials exchanged about their plans to infiltrate and control Clearwater. 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. Andrus helped carry out a plan to stop a Scientologist who had spied on the federal government from turning himself in to the FBI. or "selling postcards" or borrowing money. Almost immediately, a decades-long trickle of purchases by church members turned into a flood. Dalai Lama. Zano did not respond to questions about what his plans for the properties. 'Typically, when people buy commercial real estate, they move forward with construction or redevelopment. None of the other parishioners whose companies bought property since 2017 responded to questions about their plans. He owns Stonebridge Real Estate and served as president of the Florida Gulfcoast Commercial Association of Realtors in 2017. 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. 307 S Myrtle Ave Frnt, Clearwater, FL 33756-5524 +1 727-446-3354 Website Menu. Scientology spokesman Ben Shaw said in a statement that the church is not involved with the acquisitions. Its too soon to say how the shift in ownership will affect downtown. They spent $6.5 million to renovate the public Seminole Boat Ramp, a popular centerpiece seen as a sign of the citys commitment. by . It was a very turbulent time. The Times described sales as cash transactions when they were paid without a mortgage filed in public records. That's the findings of a story in the Tampa Bay Times that's headlined clear takeover. Then the council interfered with a land deal that Scientology demanded for its plan. Discover a selection of more than 10,000 vacation rentals near Church of Scientology, Clearwater that are perfect for your trip. Businesses might see this city project and say, yeah, let me take a chance on downtown and open up a business. It is now 6PM. It does not include properties recently bought by companies run by church members. Scientology leader David Miscavige had his own redevelopment plan. Main Menu Your email address will not be published. GARCIA-NAVARRO: What do you mean billion year contracts? MCMANUS: Right - because the city officials have said that there's only so many factors they control. Thank you guys , Hello Mike, during the live chat you mentioned your first encounter with Mark Bunker back in the LMT years. In those cases, four or more parcels purchased together clearly comprised a single piece of real estate. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. His partner is Scientologist Maria Dolores Gregori Fuster. The church has amassed 60 properties in Pinellas County since arriving in 1975. Concerned he wouldnt be able to pay his mortgage, Argall said he deeded the building, appraised at $780,000, back to the previous owner. Theyve got one intention, and one intention only, De Vocht said. 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. Right now, at least 30 businesses owned by non-parishioners are renting from Scientologists. Thats not happening with almost any of these properties. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. Hubbard had a vision of making Clearwater a spiritual home for his Church of Scientology. In just three years, starting with a frantic land grab in January 2017, Scientology doubled its footprint in the city. Andrus did not respond to an email, phone message, a note left at his office or a certified letter. The dowtown area of Clearwater is dominated by buildings owned by the Scientologists. Before: This map shows the extent of Scientology owned property in downtown Clearwater Florida in 2016, After: By 2019 the Church had greatly expanded, doubling its footprint and covering 101 acres of land, The Scientology Flag Building in Clearwater, Florida pictured above in 2013. 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. Members have to answer to their ethics officer for any act of disloyalty to Scientologys mission. Tom Cruise is moving to Clearwater, Florida to live just blocks away from the Church of Scientology headquarters. 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.. Tracey McManus is a Scientology reporter for the paper, and she joins us now. 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. And he was going to build an entertainment complex with Tom Cruise. But the aquarium rejected his bid in order to sell it to the city for $4.25 million. srini devadas linkedin The church has shed no light on its plans. Clearwater also has more vagrants. Since arriving in Clearwater in 1975, the Church of Scientology has purchased 60 properties in Pinellas County under its name. Norm Novitsky hung up when asked by a reporter about the companies plans. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Then, the . City officials are trying to make the area a regional destination for food, drink and entertainment. 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. Wayne E. Lee ran his Auto Parts Distributors business on Park Street since 1982. The more its isolated and doesnt have people who are non-Scientologists around the area, the better.. Then,. Review. She said, Well, well have to invite you down for dinner, he recalled. Scientology proposed a major redevelopment project meant to lure in new business to the empty stores in the citys waterfront area and near the churchs headquarters, but the council interfered, botching plans for a land deal that the church wanted for its expansion plan. 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 . Scientology is a snitching culture and it's deeply embedded.) Leading up to the waterfront, 22 of the first 33 buildings now have ties to Scientology. 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 mean, how big is the Church of Scientology where you are? Hes still holding out. 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. Ive been waiting for this neighborhood to clean up for 30 years, and I still think its around the corner, Rice said. They paid $26 million. Today, 10 years later, the economic influence of Scientologists in the community is commensurately higher. Toni Says: What is Medicares creditable prescription drug coverage? Shephard's Beach Resort. The Church didn't comment on whether Scientology orchestrated or paid for any of the real estate sales. 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. Andrus was named an unindicted co-conspirator in Scientologys government espionage scheme, which sent 11 Scientologists to federal prison. It's not clear how many followers are based in Clearwater. It teaches that expanding Scientology is key to saving the world, then wields a system of totalitarian policies to keep parishioners in line. Theres no such thing in Scientology. (On Sunday, the Tampa Bay Times reported that since 2017, companies run by members of Scientology bought another 86 downtown commercial properties. Audited NOTs (NOT stands for NED [New Era Dianetics] Operating Thetan) Save. 'However, it hasnt always been clear to me as to just what does that actually mean.'. They haven't submitted redevelopment plans. They have control over what businesses, if any, come in. Did you do your taxes? Times reporters built a database of hundreds of properties in the center of Clearwaters downtown. Flag is what they call it, and it's the international spiritual headquarters of the church. During spiritual counseling, parishioners are interrogated about their deepest secrets, which are recorded in folders and stored indefinitely. The churchs influence comes from its massive wealth, estimated around $3billion in cash and assets, collected from devoted followers. The project broke ground in August and is aimed at helping bring businesses and foot traffic to the empty storefronts in the surrounding blocks. Companies controlled by Hayes have bought about half the property on Rices block and nearly the entire block directly south. They keep their operations going. But thats not important. And the mayor at the time, Gabe Cazares, really raised the alarm. Moreover, tens of thousands of Scientologists travel to the city each year from around the world to participate in religious services at the Church's spiritual home. In addition to a park and amphitheater, Imagine Clearwater also calls for several new projects on the waterfront with residences and retail. Weve spent a lot of happy years here, Lares said. The Church of Scientology provided the following statement to DailyMail.com: 'The Times article is simply the latest in its continuing and unending obsession with Scientology and is little more than self-serving propaganda intended to give the appearance of objective reporting without reporting the actual facts to the reader. The most notable one is that of Lisa McPherson. ), 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. Scientology has said it has 10 million followers, but surveys and accounts from former members suggest there are no more than 30,000 worldwide. After negotiations, Kerrs company paid Yarbrough $1.1 million in cash for the lots, then valued by Pinellas County at $331,000. New Pasco County commissioner accused of faking his residency, Guide to Plant Citys Strawberry Festival, one of the largest festivals in the nation, Gov. 0. warrants st martin parish. All five City Council members said they doubted the rash of purchases were unrelated. TRACEY MCMANUS: Hi, Lulu. Scientologys international spiritual headquarters is anchored by the Flag Building, on left. Over the past two years, the properties surrounding the shop have been sold to Scientologist-controlled companies. If the council in 2020 isnt on board with doing something his way, hes going to do it himself.. Jim is a nationally known artist. 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. 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 three years buying up huge sections of downtown Clearwater. Nearly all of the roughly two dozen people listed as operating the companies are Scientologists. 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. George Orwell's astonishing novel 1984 depicts a dystopian world that has many remarkable similarities to scientology. Scientology boasts 10million followers, but surveys and accounts from former members suggest there are no more than 30,000 worldwide. I believe its irrational to buy property and not fully utilize it.. William Faulkner, "The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis." Former parishioners say the church has a history of interfering in Scientologists downtown business. Clearwater, FL is the town literally owned by Scientologists, so checks out Reply . In January and February 2017, a handful of limited liability companies bought six prime downtown parcels. 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. What a difference in Mike from then and now., The Q&A session began at 2PM. 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. Hi, this is Stu, KnowBe4's CEO. 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. What you know is what you know and to have the courage to know and say what you have observed".- LRH from Personal Integrity, "It is necessary to happiness of man, that he be mentally faithful to himself. Seventy-three percent of the property is tax-exempt for religious purposes. 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. Delk described the projects which require voter approval as key to the plans success. 'The Church was unaware of the significant number of properties owned by Scientologists in the Clearwater area and are delighted you provided the information,' the letter added. The Tampa Bay Times reported that the church, including members and employees, now own 185 properties that encompass more than 101 acres in downtown Clearwater, located west of Tampa and sitting. '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. Rice said hes been surprised that he has not been approached by brokers trying to buy his 10,000-square-foot building. Has the Church of Scientology ever killed anyone? [quote] Florida Gov. 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. Fischler, a local real estate agent, negotiated at least 10 of the downtown deals, according to interviews with sellers. All 45 North Marina properties were purchased by companies managed or operated by two longtime members of Scientology: Steven Hayes, an attorney who has done legal work on behalf of church related organizations for more than two decades, and Norm Novitsky, a businessperson who has donated at least $5 million to Scientology. Scientologists in Clearwater. By then, the churchs intelligence unit was already deploying an elaborate scheme to establish area control in the city. Graphics by ELI MURRAY Aaron Smith-Levin, a former Sea Org member, said a church ethics officer in 1993 pressured Smith-Levins father-in-law to sell Scientology a downtown property it wanted for expansion. The Church of Scientology acquired the building in 2017 as part of its downtown redevelopment plan. walmart stabbing victim; google financial analyst salary london. Thirteen were existing tenants when he bought the properties. Trump congratulates Justin Trudeau on winning a second term Three soldiers died when their tank fell off a bridge into a Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, TN residents say Jack Daniel's distillery spews black mold, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' While theres no law against hanging onto property, developers typically buy land, build on it and sell it for profit. The gallery does not include properties bought by companies run by church members. Show more. Tal Ezra, a Scientologist who recently bought four parcels around an office where he has run his fuel management company since 2005, said hes considering office space and possibly a retail shop. See listing details for 880 Mandalay Avenue S604, CLEARWATER, FL 33767 | REGATTA BEACH CLUB CONDO: 0 - 1.00 - 500 - Condo - Hotel listed at 2995 | MLS #O6093827 But the promised downtown revival never came. I had to make a decision, Bosi said. 3,594 Reviews . light blockers for blinds bunnings; black and white fallacy examples in commercials; what scope do marine snipers use; does squat and cough work; hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater Real estate agent David Kerr represented a buyer that paid more than three times what a property was valued by the county property appraiser. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Just out of curiosity, when you say the tactics that they used in the '70s, what were those? When will the Beast from the East be at YOUR door? Yarbrough never learned the buyers identity. The Tampa Bay Times reports that recent purchases doubled the combined real estate footprint of the church and its followers. When the council voted to buy the property, the chamber erupted in applause. You have some buyers here that their motivations are not really clear, he said, so its tough to make economic sense out of it.. [ The full history: Scientologys 40 years of conflict with the City of Clearwater, recapped ]. 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. In addition, more is planned to occur on the "Ides of march" (March 15th) Which also happens to be L. Ron Hubbard's . Religious Technology Center (RTC) is the primary manager of Scientology intellectual property. Times Staff WritersOct. 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. Llmenos para una consulta. Lares and his wife, Emily, sold the diner inside a decade ago. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Ukraine soldiers shoot down enemy drones with drones of their own, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA. He had committed to downtown in 1997. Companies tied to the Church of Scientology paid millions in cash for 45 properties near downtown with no major plans in sight. We own a tremendous amount of material and so forth, and it keeps growing. About $15.9 million was paid in cash. Then he would try again, with new council members. #1 of 10 resorts in Clearwater. The few that chose to speak on selling their property said they were approached by a Scientologist who made offers and paid in cash. Best Clearwater hotels Most recommended Clearwater hotels Clearwater Inn $27+ Free Wi-Fi Sonesta Simply Suites Clearwater 8.1 Very good $157+ Parking Free Wi-Fi Pool Pet friendly Courtyard St. Petersburg Clearwater 8.9 Very good $340+ Parking Airport shuttle Free Wi-Fi Pool Extended Stay America Suites - St Petersburg - Clearwater - Executive Dr A for-lease sign sits in long-vacant retail space at The SkyView condo tower, owned by Scientologist and developer Moises Agami. The lack of action from Scientology-tied buyers has precedent. Any property owned by a Scientologist or linked to a Scientologist is owned by the church, because the church owns its parishioners, said De Vocht, the former executive in charge of real estate, who reported directly to Miscavige. 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. Revealed: The top 10 fastest-growing destinations for UK pensioners retiring overseas. Real estate agent Daphna Fischler, a Scientologist, called and showed up to the shop a handful of times in mid-2018. 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. My plan is to keep renting, Huestler said. Story by TRACEY McMANUS Facebook. He told Fischler that before Scientology bought the Fort Harrison Hotel in 1975 he worked there as a busboy. The impact is clearest in the heart of downtown. Most of the sales have not previously been reported. But they werent ready to sell the building, which they had owned for 27 years. 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. An empty Walgreens. The Fort Harrison Hotel is located in Clearwater, Florida, and besides being an exclusive Scientology hotel, it is a high-level training center and the church's spiritual headquarters. Thats a factor we do not control, Delk said. But,so far, there have been only 4 comments posted to, It was fantastic stream! The few willing to answer questions said Scientology has no influence on their real estate dealings. The DeNunzio Group is affiliated with Maine Course Hospitality Group, which owns and operates 24 hotels in five states. The Church was unaware of the significant number of properties owned by Scientologists in the Clearwater area and are delighted you provided the information, the letter continued.