and last updated 7:53 PM, Oct 21, 2019. But many of those purchased properties remain shuttered or in disuse. In January and February 2017, a handful of limited liability companies bought six prime downtown parcels. And he was going to build an entertainment complex with Tom Cruise. Then walk down Cleveland Street downtowns main artery. But the aquarium rejected his bid in order to sell it to the city for $4.25 million. And he was going to recruit high-end retail to some of the empty storefronts because downtown Clearwater's pretty depressed. hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater. Welcome. Since 2017, the Church of Scientology and companies run by its members have bought 92 properties around the center of downtown. Most of the new owners have done little with their acquisitions. Of the $103 million spent, $99 million was paid in cash. 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. In a letter, the church said the Times is misinterpreting Scientology policy and that other religions also practice shunning. The 1.4 acre lot was across the street from City Hall and adjacent to a 13-story Scientology religious retreat. Bosi wasnt interested. They were very secretive, he said. 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. 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 Jerry Maguire star recently purchased a two-storey penthouse in downtown Clearwater, Floridaclose to the Scientology HQ. It's not clear how many followers are based in Clearwater. But on the notice filed with Pinellas County for the roof replacement at 801 N Fort Harrison Ave., Andrus signed his name as a manager of the company that owns the building. Many of the properties werent on the market. The DeNunzio Group is affiliated with Maine Course Hospitality Group, which owns and operates 24 hotels in five states. Although I find Clearwater to be fairly safe, it has more crime than Naples. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the earth." From $150.62 per night. Seven businesses have left following recent purchases, and at least three more are leaving this year, including Clearwater Plumbing and Gulf Coast Marine. 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. AND it is NOT in a Flood Zone! Closed now : See all hours. But now these LLCs tied to Scientology control the retail district. Nearly all of the roughly two dozen people listed as operating the companies are Scientologists. But Lee assumed the church was involved. Church of Scientology, Clearwater Vacation Rentals: house - Vrbo Scientologists buy dozens of properties in Clearwater, newspaper In 2016, city consultants began planning what has become a $64 million effort to reinvigorate the waterfront called Imagine Clearwater. William Faulkner, "The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis." 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. It's GRAYGATE! Epstein declined to name his client but responded to questions from the Times with an affidavit declaring it was not the Church of Scientology. The history of Scientology in Clearwater, Florida - FSView Did you do your taxes? 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.. 21 day forecast key west, florida. 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. 325 . Shephard's Beach Resort. 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. 307 S Myrtle Ave Frnt, Clearwater, FL 33756-5524 +1 727-446-3354 Website Menu. They came in under a fake name to buy the Fort Harrison Hotel, a historic hotel right in the center of downtown. Both have been there for decades. At least eight businesses that got new landlords tied to Scientology moved out and have not been replaced. 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 . There are 22 Church of Scientology facilities in downtown Clearwater. The churchs hostility toward the public became clear from its first days in the city in fall 1975. It teaches that expanding Scientology is key to saving the world, then wields a system of totalitarian policies to keep parishioners in line. 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. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Dalai Lama. The lack of action from Scientology-tied buyers has precedent. The Tampa Bay Times reports that members of the church have spent $103 million on property in the city of Clearwater known as "The first Scientology city" since 2016. For Sale: 500000 - Residential, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,315 sqft at 1359 HOWARD STREET in Clearwater South. '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. The campus collects millions each week through fundraising and payments for expensive courses and high-level religious counseling not offered anywhere else. View Hotel. They paid $26 million. But the promised downtown revival never came. You have well connected, https://m.facebook.com/jobs/job-opening/332924608432320/, Scientology a cult of lies scientology a cult of lies, https://www.mikerindersblog.org/scientology-businesses-in-clearwater/, Dealing With Scientology Critics - L Ron Hubbard Playbook, Buzzazz Business Solutions (Keanan Kintzel), Consumer Sales Solutions (Tom Cummins and Jim Bridgeforth), MGE Management Experts (Luis Colon, Greg Winteregg), Nelson Construction and Renovations (Gregory Nelson), NTC Nationwide Title Clearing (John Hillman, Todd Kugler, Norm Novitsky), Root Cause Medical Clinic (Rick and Vikki Petersen), Ted McGrath Brands (Jasmin Napier daughter-in-law of Mike Napier), The Tub Guy (Randy and Molly Baxter, she is the former CO FOLO EUS), Silkin Management Group (located in Portland OR), USA Tree Service LLC (Jim and Karen Kettner). hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater. The Times also contacted representatives of all 32 companies it identified that bought downtown real estate over the past three years. The Church of Scientology offered $15 . The Church didn't comment on whether Scientology orchestrated or paid for any of the real estate sales. (Everything owned by parishioner-run companies is still on the tax rolls. Scientologys survival depends on the preservation of its headquarters 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. What is it like living amongst Scientologists in Clearwater - Quora Mike Rinder, who led the churchs intelligence arm before defecting in 2007, said that when it comes to property around Flag, theres no real distinction between whether its owned by the church or a parishioner. Hayes, the attorney and parishioner involved in the rest of the North Marina purchases, was added as manager on the companies filings. Construction on eight townhomes on the south end of the marina began Oct. 1, according to county records. Walking through Clearwater people will find vacant lots, an empty former jewelry store, an dead laundromat and an abandoned Walgreens. Charles 'will NEVER build real relationship with Archie and Lili unless Harry and Meghan get new royal 'Putin has STOLEN our Ukrainian children': Distraught parents tell how THOUSANDS of youngsters never EMILY PRESCOTT: Sarah Ferguson 'confused' after seeing photos from goddaughter's wedding she thought she was Joe Biden is 'unlikely' to attend King Charles' coronation due to Ireland trip - despite promising to A 14-year-old autistic boy's naive prank. Chef Karl has held positions at the Bermuda Carlton Beach Hotel, and Royal Orleans Hotel in New Orleans. ', Freedom Magazine is a Scientology produced publication. A few weeks later, John Yarbrough sold the building where he had run his electrical services business for 22 years. 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. 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. In Clearwater, Fla., there's been a quiet series of land purchases over the last three years, $103 million worth made by the Church of Scientology and its parishioners - a doubling of the church's footprint near its international headquarters. MCMANUS: Yeah, that's a good question. The Scientology leader had offered the Clearwater Marine Aquarium $15 million for that 1.4-acre grass lot on Pierce Street. And Scientology has an interest in keeping that insulated according to former executives that we've interviewed. I had to make a decision, Bosi said. This month, Shahab Emrani was elected to the Downtown Development Board, which helps promote downtown. Huestler said broker Terri Novitsky calls him every now and again to see if hed be interested in selling. She reported full-time for six months, interviewing more than 90 people and reviewing more than 1,000 documents, to bring you this story. It was a very turbulent time. But on days with no events, downtown feels deserted. 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. 275 reviews #24 of 428 Restaurants in Clearwater $ American Cafe Diner. is saying oh my goodness a sin in islam. 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. And the mayor. Companies controlled by Hayes have bought about half the property on Rices block and nearly the entire block directly south. Wayne E. Lee ran his Auto Parts Distributors business on Park Street since 1982. Since July 2019, eight limited liability companies managed or operated by members of the church have bought 45 properties in North Marina, including Chesneys. Take away the church footprint, a few condo towers and all buildings owned by the government. The greatest number of properties were bought by companies controlled by either Israeli businessman Itzhak Zano or another Scientologist who represents him. 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. He saw the area improve when police cracked down on drugs and prostitution decades ago. But in the 70s, Andrus was named an unindicted co-conspirator in Scientologys government espionage scheme, which sent 11 Scientologists to federal prison. These are the companies and names on this list (put into alphabetical order, I also added what are probably the largest scientology owned businesses in the area KnowB4, NTC, Consumer Sales Solutions and Energy Professionals: Axiom Bahia Property Management (Raul Aleman) Blue Streak Docs (Sam Gendusa) Buzzazz Business Solutions (Keanan Kintzel)