The Church of Scientology and companies run by its members have spent $103 million since 2017 buying about 100 properties. In 2017 the church acquired six downtown Clearwater retail properties through limited liability companies. Originally founded in 1955, we are the oldest Scientology Church in Australia. Although Zano is not well known in Clearwater, the companies spent $16.7 million acquiring 26 commercial properties downtown. This is a very interesting report. Instead, the aquarium sold it to the city in April 2017 for a lot less $4.25 million. There is ZERO chance of me getting sucked in. In the world of scientologywhere anything goes and all laws in the wog world by damnedits Christmas 24/7. GARCIA-NAVARRO: So clearly they wanted these properties a great deal. Scientology leader David Miscavige had his own redevelopment plan. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. City officials have long hoped for private investors to transform the North Marina Area, a 13-block district with undeveloped lots and 100-year-old bungalows overlooking Clearwater Harbor. Most did not respond or declined to comment. Holding and president of Graymoss, Inc. [27] The architectural firm HOK was hired to deliver the project. Good luck on that. Disloyalty has life-changing consequences. $99 million of the purchases were paid for in cash.. We have previously presented a case that the $103 million was provided by Scientologist David Gentile's GPB Capital Holdings. In addition to a park and amphitheater, Imagine Clearwater also calls for several new projects on the waterfront with residences and retail. But Scientologist-controlled companies are also sitting on at least 26 vacant lots and 31 empty storefronts and offices. The church has shed no light on its plans. Subscribe to our free Stephinitely newsletter. But far more non-Scientologists are moving out. And yes, everyone that works here is asked to keep politics and religion out . 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 church stopped communicating with the city. Real estate agent Daphna Fischler brokered at least 10 downtown sales on behalf of seven buyers. The spa's website makes it clear that, "In fact, we are, by definition, a Christian based business.". Zano did not respond to questions about what his plans for the properties. Pros. A broker is trying to buy the building Peter and Emily Lares have owned for decades. In a letter, the church said the Times is misinterpreting Scientology policy and that other religions also practice shunning. Amazing Place to Work. The new owners also are sitting on about 30 undeveloped lots. Clearwater is the permanent home to more than 10,000 Scientology parishioners. 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. [1] 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. AMI's culture and team members truly make AMI an amazing place to work! Former parishioners say the church has a history of interfering in Scientologists downtown business. He called the Tampa Bay Times questions about parishioners activity not just stupid, false and offensive, but un-American., You talk out of both sides of your mouth: If redevelopment is being done by the city or a member of another religion, not Scientology, it is good; if redevelopment is being done by a Scientologist, it is bad, Shaw said. The US average revenue of a car dealership is $38.3 million. Made an offer. Businesses without ties to the church are moving into a few of those. Want more of our free, weekly newslettersinyourinbox? On Sept. 7, Epsteins employee was removed from the corporate filings of the company that own the land. His wife, parishioner and real estate agent, Terri Novitsky, represented the buyer in many of the deals, according to interviews with sellers. That company has had no connection to Coldwell Banker for decades. If our work stats did not improve day to day . Gulf Coast Marine and ClearwaterPlumbing. This is a story for another time. NIO stock swings lower after reporting losses that were much wider than expected, 3Ms stock surges after company says DOD data show 90% of earplug plaintiffs had normal hearing, Marc Benioffs Salesforce fairy tale is crumbling down around him. We interpret it as the Tampa Bay Times getting too close for Mr. Epsteins comfort. 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. In 2016, city consultants began planning what has become a $64 million effort to reinvigorate the waterfront called Imagine Clearwater. Please consider supporting us with a tax-deductible donation to the Tampa Bay Times Investigative Fund. High-ranking defectors provide an unprecedented inside look at Scientology, its leader and the Lisa McPherson case. Scientologys extraordinary influence over its members has been documented in government investigations and testimony from former parishioners throughout its 65-year history. Visitors are expected to stay in Scientologys hotels and eat at private church restaurants. MCMANUS: Yeah, I think that the key here is the uncertainty. The Church is the largest property taxpayer in downtown Clearwater, paying nearly $1 million in property taxes last year. They keep their operations going. We believe it's important to shed light on a powerful institution that's very controversial and plays a big role in our community. can t use carpenter's workbench skyrim; how long does it take a rat to starve to death; cowboy hat making supplies; why would i get a letter from circuit clerk Jim Huestler is the blocks only holdout with a rental home on the northeast corner. The Scientology leader had offered the Clearwater Marine Aquarium $15 million for that 1.4-acre grass lot on Pierce Street. Businesses might see this city project and say, yeah, let me take a chance on downtown and open up a business. The Times used the date that transactions were recorded in Clerk of Courts official record as the date of sale. He was overseeing the religion from aboard a ship to avoid investigations into tax evasion and fraud when he selected Clearwater as a spiritual headquarters. . Osman Ozsan runs two funds in Clearwater: According to online records, Ozsan, Gregori And Company LLC has only two client accounts: Osman Ozsan is on the Advisory Board of CA South Development, a firm founded by Scientologists Megan and Stephen Epstein. And our analysis found that these church officials were offering two, three, four times what the property appraiser said the properties were valued. After leaving Caliber Wells, Rodney Riley began working with Megan and Stephen Epstein. He shows up in Clearwater from Arizona a few months ago. On Sept. 7, Epsteins employee was removed from the corporate filings of the company that own the land. More reaction: What Clearwaters City Council thinks about Scientologys downtown takeover, The full history: Scientologys 40 years of conflict with the City of Clearwater, recapped, Slideshow: See every building owned by the church, Scientologys 40 years of conflict with Clearwater, recapped, See a slideshow of all the churchs buildings. Sep 19, 2022 - Anonymous Employee in Clearwater, FL. Its members bought property on surrounding blocks. 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. I would assume hes a Scientologist or involved with them in some fashion. 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. 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. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Who are they buying from, and how much were they offering? Clarification made on CBRE and thank you for pointing that out. But its potential is still untapped, with prime vacant land overlooking Clearwater Harbor. Members have to answer to their ethics officer for any act of disloyalty to Scientologys mission. 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. And he was going to build an entertainment complex with Tom Cruise. Over the next four decades, the church gradually amassed 58 properties in Clearwater under its name, 49 of them downtown. Many of the properties werent on the market. Scientologists from across the globe make pilgrimages to the campus, called Flag. Andrus did not respond to an email, phone message, a note left at his office or a certified letter. Fifty-eight are in the city of Clearwater and 49 are downtown. I dont know what their plan is.. The Times also contacted representatives of all 32 companies it identified that bought downtown real estate over the past three years. Religious Technology Center (RTC) is the primary manager of Scientology intellectual property. 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. No one from the church dictates to me what to buy, what to sell, what to do., From the archives (May 2019):A supposed Scientology cruise ship is quarantined in St. Lucia over measles. The Church of Scientology has done many things at a remove or by a ruse, feint, or stratagem. ARKWRIGHT ROAD LIMITED The gallery does not include properties bought by companies run by church members. February 1976: Scientology files a $1 million lawsuit against Cazares alleging he violated its constitutional rights with his public criticism. 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. Should we cut my sister out of the family inheritance? By then, he had found an auto garage he could buy in Dunedin. Accuracy and availability may vary. February 27, 2023 endeavor air pilot contract No Comments . Another tell. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. After FBI raids uncovered the infiltrations, city officials launched their own investigations. A broker who was a Scientologist approached a downtown property owner. The Church of Scientology and companies run by its members spent $103 million over the past three years buying up vast sections of downtown Clearwater. Scientologys survival depends on the preservation of its headquarters in Clearwater. Most religions have a fundamentalist wing, Rinder said. Its like they are trying to control the whole thing.. Do I spend another 10 years and see what happens in downtown Clearwater?, Scientology, Pinellas County and Clearwater Reporter. In late 2020, Terri Novitsky also was elected to the Downtown Development Board, an advisory group tasked with promoting downtown. 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. The church has amassed 60 properties in Pinellas County since arriving in 1975. 20, 2019. Fifty-three of those are for properties owned by companies run by himself with fellow Scientologist Emrani, a candidate in this election. ANTIFRAGILE LIMITED Visitors walk through downtown on a Friday. 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. You have some buyers here that their motivations are not really clear, he said, so its tough to make economic sense out of it.. (I'm in Clearwater). The property wasnt on the market. 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. Times reporters built a database of hundreds of properties in the center of Clearwaters downtown. 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. His partner is Scientologist Maria Dolores Gregori Fuster. 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