Scientology has been accused of using the information as blackmail. Sponsored by HomeIPO.org Is it possible to get money (maybe $50k) without a loan? Please consider supporting us with a tax-deductible donation to the Tampa Bay Times Investigative Fund. and last updated 7:53 PM, Oct 21, 2019. Made an offer. There are 22 Church of Scientology facilities in downtown Clearwater. He publicly asked why there were security cards with billy clubs and mace on the roof. It bought a hotel and wrote plans to take control of the city. Nearly all of the properties were bought through limited liability companies, which are required to disclose their operators but not their owners. Since arriving in Clearwater in 1975, the Church of Scientology has bought 60 . It teaches that expanding Scientology is key to saving the world, then wields a system of totalitarian policies to keep parishioners in line. Seven businesses have left following recent purchases, and at least three more are leaving this year, including Clearwater Plumbing and Gulf Coast Marine. A deserted coin laundry. The church has shed no light on its plans. In addition to a park and amphitheater, Imagine Clearwater also calls for several new projects on the waterfront with residences and retail. AMI's culture and team members truly make AMI an amazing place to work! Its designed not for recruiting new members but for hosting established followers. ), 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 members fuel another land-buying surge in Clearwater Companies tied to the Church of Scientology paid millions in cash for 45 properties near downtown with no major plans in. There is nothing unnatural about Scientologists wanting to live in the same city that houses the international spiritual headquarters of their church, said a letter signed by Scientology attorney Gary Soter. VIDEO: Finally, Scientific Proof that Scientologys Body Thetans Cannot Exist! The owner of a nationwide company that makes and markets aloe vera skin cream. We also hold the distinction of being the first Scientology Church in the Southern Hemisphere. 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. Write by: . David Gentile is creative with money and had hundreds of bank accounts and sub-funds when he ran GPB Capital. 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. 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. 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. 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. When asked by the Tampa Bay Times about the 2017-2018 land purchases totaling $103 million made by Scientologists, Church attorney Gary Soter wrote a letter in which he stated: 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. The Times described sales as cash transactions when they were paid without a mortgage filed in public records. Miscavige cut off communication with the city. Coincident with this Riley-registered RSR Capital Advisors as an LLC in Florida on March 21, 2022. No one from the church dictates to me what to buy, what to sell, what to do.. Times Staff WritersOct. Based upon on our new hypothesis that Trish Duggan may be the financier of the land purchases, the logic of bringing in non-Scientologist Rod Riley to act as the frontman makes sense as it can serve to counter any accusation that Scientology is taking over Clearwater. 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. The total of all Scientology-connected Clearwater real estate purchases $114.8 million. What Clearwaters City Council thinks, Scientologys 40 years of conflict with Clearwater, recapped, See a slideshow of all the churchs buildings. The Florida Secretary of State records show the firm went dormant in 2012. The acquisitions mirror the pattern that unfolded downtown between 2017 and 2019, when companies tied to Scientology bought 100 properties within walking distance of the waterfront and the churchs international spiritual headquarters, then left many of those buildings vacant and lots undeveloped. Columnist Stephanie Hayes will share thoughts, feelings and funny business with you every Monday. I saw a business opportunity, he said. (SOUNDBITE OF CHICK COREA'S "RETURN TO FOREVER"). Since July 2019, eight limited liability companies managed or operatedby members of the church have bought 45 properties in North Marina, including Chesneys. The Church of Scientology and its parishioners now own a lot of real estate in Clearwater, Fla., as reported by the Tampa Bay Times. His wife, parishioner and real estate agent, Terri Novitsky, represented the buyer in many of the deals, according to interviews with sellers. But the couple isnt ready to let go. Religious Technology Center (RTC) is the primary manager of Scientology intellectual property. In an interview with Scientology-owned "Freedom Magazine" Gendusa said that she moved to Clearwater to study Scientology more than 25 years ago. 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. About 72 percent of those properties are tax exempt for religious uses. NIO's stock slumped toward a 2 1/2-year low, after the China-based EV maker reported a much wider-than-expected loss and revenue that fell short of forecasts. Miscaviges offer to revitalize downtown hinged on the city ending its attempt to buy one vacant lot on which the church was also bidding. In 2016, city consultants began planning what has become a $64 million effort to reinvigorate the waterfront called Imagine Clearwater. Former parishioners say the church has a history of interfering in Scientologists downtown business. "You have some buyers here that their motivations are not really clear," he said, "so it's tough to make economic sense out . I think it's comparable to say it's kind of, like, if there were to be a Vatican reporter in Vatican City. We built a graphic demonstrating just how little is left. Osman Ozsan is of interest to us because he is connected to Rod Riley, a non-Scientologist realtor and real estate developer from Arizona. However, we reserve our prior opinion and modify it by stating that some GPB Capital money may be in the Clearwater real estate purchases mix. MCMANUS: You know, Lulu, from my reporting, I've learned that there's a lot of mistrust and suspicion still in the community when it comes to Scientology because a lot of the residents here were living in the city when Scientology arrived in the '70s, and they remember the tactics Scientology used. The property wasnt on the market. It set aside $10 million for secret real estate purchases in Clearwater. He took over Bob Lees Auto to continue the business legacy and served on the Downtown Development Board for a decade. I dont know what their plan is.. Rice said hes been surprised that he has not been approached by brokers trying to buy his 10,000-square-foot building. Its too soon to say how the shift in ownership will affect downtown. Then the council interfered with a land deal that Scientology demanded for its plan. After the Times reported the purchases, Miscavige acknowledged the properties were bought for a second revitalization strategy one devised by the church. Riley had no reason to mention that he had worked with Mormons and will now work to communicate with the Scientologists in Clearwater. This reads like deliberately premanufactured PR to us. Bosi wasnt interested. The 2017-2019 Downtown Clearwater land purchases made by Scientologists totaled $103 million. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. They doubled the churchs footprint in less than three years. These workers sign billion year contracts, are paid very little, work around the clock. 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. But that is where it ends. After the City Council voted to buy the lot in April 2017, Miscavige refused to talk to city officials for the next two and a half years. Steven Epstein took the unusual step of preparing an affidavit to tell the Tampa Bay Times that his client was not the Church of Scientology. The Church of Scientology and its members are rapidly buying up a vast downtown neighborhood in a Florida city, according to a major investigation by the Tampa Bay Times. Leading up to the waterfront, 22 of the first 33 buildings now have ties to Scientology. 2. Dozens of residents showed up to speak. Hes still holding out. All together, 32 companies bought 92 downtown properties since 2017. Rileys Clearwater Marina District development has a $350 million price tag on it. Real estate offices, vitamin shops and vacant storefronts fill prime locations that in a more vibrant downtown might hold breweries, restaurants and boutiques. 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. However, this tactic can backfire when it comes across as answering a question no one has asked. Lee sold when Fischler upped her offer to $410,000 cash for the building valued at $109,000 by the property appraiser. It is all so convenient for Rodney that it appears to be scripted. ( 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 Aaron Smith-Levin, who left the world of Scientology after 29 years, is running to serve on the council in Clearwaterwhich has been home to the church's international spiritual headquarters. Internal church documents detailed missions that planted spies in the state attorneys office, the Chamber of Commerce and the Clearwater Sun newspaper. He owns Stonebridge Real Estate and served as president of the Florida Gulfcoast Commercial Association of Realtors in 2017. The project broke ground in August and is aimed at helping bring businesses and foot traffic to the empty storefronts in the surrounding blocks. Even as Scientologys footprint expanded, and nearby Clearwater Beach became one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States, downtown businesses struggled to stay open. Cazares responds with an $8 million libel suit. (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. Amazing Place to Work. 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.. So we kept our eye on the downtown purchases. Delk described the projects which require voter approval as key to the plans success. 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