MCMANUS: Yeah, I think that the key here is the uncertainty. "Working from home" after a hurricane means going to a hotel, since the power always goes out for between 2-7 days. Toni Says: What is Medicares creditable prescription drug coverage? GARCIA-NAVARRO: Who are they buying from, and how much were they offering? In 1975, Scientology creator L. Ron Hubbard bought a historic hotel in downtown Clearwater. But his offer had a catch. 'Typically, when people buy commercial real estate, they move forward with construction or redevelopment. And inside those findings was a plan that Scientology operatives had created and written to establish area control. I mean, how big is the Church of Scientology where you are? Argall left the church and was forced to abandon his business of more than 20 years. It's Clearwater, FL. $500,000 USD: Your Dream Florida Home with heated Pool is within Reach! 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. Eventually, open tensions faded. Yarbrough never learned the buyers identity. In this way Scientologists were able to buy properties without companies knowing they were behind it. In summer 2017, Mark Searcy, a longtime Clearwater real estate agent who is not a Scientologist, assembled a 1-acre site by getting the owners of three adjoining properties to agree to sell. Although Zano is not well known in Clearwater, the companies spent $16.7 million acquiring 26 commercial properties downtown. An elevated walkway connects the building to the Fort Harrison Hotel, the churchs first purchase in the city in 1975. CONNIE HUMBURG, TRACEY McMANUS, ELI MURRAY, ELI ZHANG | Times. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. Review. The Resort at Longboat Key Club . Tampa Bay Times reporter Tracey McManus has spent the last four years writing about Scientology and the churchs relationship with the city of Clearwater. The Mission: Impossible - Fallout star plans to call an elaborate penthouse, complete with a private swimming pool and garden, his new home. 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 as he looked at a map of downtowns new ownership. The few that chose to speak on selling their property said they were approached by a Scientologist who made offers and paid in cash. Scientologists began to purchase properties through limited liability companies which are required by law to disclose their operators but not their owners. Its like they are trying to control the whole thing.. In Florida, limited liability companies that buy property are required to disclose administrative operators but not their owners. The Church told 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.'. Most of the new owners have done little with their acquisitions. A deserted coin laundry. ', Freedom Magazine is a Scientology produced publication. 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,'Tom De Vocht, a former Scientology executive who oversaw the churchs property in Clearwater from 1996 to 2001, said. 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 . (Which, actually, all Scientologists are under pressure to do. Breakfast options. Scientology hasn't answered directly why they've taken over the Clearwater area, but skeptics say it's to keep the public away. Andrus involvement in Scientology goes back decades and includes his participation in a plan during the 1970s to stop a church member who had spied on the federal government from turning himself in to the FBI. The reason lies in rising tensions between the church and the Clearwater City Council. Review. Copyright 2019 NPR. Clearwater is the permanent home to more than 10,000 Scientology parishioners. Visitors walk through downtown on a Friday. Clearwater 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. Has the Church of Scientology ever killed anyone? Andrus helped carry out a plan to stop a Scientologist who had spied on the federal government from turning himself in to the FBI. Scientology has been accused of using the information as blackmail. Claimed. '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. June 22, 2022; Posted by . Since 2017, limited liability companies tied to the Church of Scientology have scooped up at least 100 properties on or near the downtown waterfront and approximately 60 others in residential. Over the next four decades, the church gradually amassed 58 properties in Clearwater under its name, 49 of them downtown. 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. Minkoff had his medical license suspended for a year after it . But,so far, there have been only 4 comments posted to, It was fantastic stream! Jim Huestler is the blocks only holdout with a rental home on the northeast corner. Disloyalty has life-changing consequences. He told Fischler that before Scientology bought the Fort Harrison Hotel in 1975 he worked there as a busboy. Following a fallout with the City Council, Scientologists started to buy downtown property - $103million worth to be exact - at an unprecedented rate and now the church and its members own185 properties that cover 101 acres of downtown. Clearwater is the center of that revenue stream. 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. The Church's celebrity members Tom Cruise and John Travolta are known to have estates near Clearwater as well. 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. 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. They were very secretive, he said. Seventy-one percent of the 60 parcels the Church of Scientology owns under its name in Pinellas County are tax-exempt for religious purposes. I really appreciate you all giving up your time to, Mike was probably getting a slew of YSCOHB texts from DM. He had committed to downtown in 1997. Not so shipshape! (SOUNDBITE OF CHICK COREA'S "RETURN TO FOREVER"). Thats not happening with almost any of these properties. In addition to a park and amphitheater, Imagine Clearwater also calls for several new projects on the waterfront with residences and retail. hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater. He wanted the council to stop trying to buy a vacant lot on which the church was also bidding. This Gulfport 14-year-old, The death of Dilbert and the art vs. the artist | Letters. Hi, this is Stu, KnowBe4's CEO. Real estate agent Brian Andrus controls seven properties bought around the citys public boat ramp. But companies controlled by different parishioners bought neighboring properties that create clear assemblages of land. 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. Tracey McManus is a Scientology reporter for the paper, and she joins us now. Thomas Paine, Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. - Martin Luther King, The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. - Martin Luther King. By then, he had found an auto garage he could buy in Dunedin. Did you do your taxes? Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Agami also signed two more leases on the same block with restaurants owned by people not connected to the church. Hotel in Clearwater. When buildings get important to us, for God sakes, some of you born revolutionists will you please blow up central headquarters". Of the $103 million spent, $99 million was paid in cash. High-ranking defectors provide an unprecedented inside look at Scientology, its leader and the Lisa McPherson case. 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. June 9, 2022. Hes still holding out. These workers sign billion year contracts, are paid very little, work around the clock. The Times also contacted representatives of all 32 companies it identified that bought downtown real estate over the past three years. 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. Then in 2017, companies controlled by parishioners began buying retail property at an unprecedented rate. Almost immediately, a decades-long trickle of purchases by church members turned into a flood. ( magazine) Applied Philosophy. We believe it's important to shed light on a powerful institution that's very controversial and plays a big role in our community. There are 22 Church of Scientology facilities in downtown Clearwater. Scientologists in Clearwater. 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. Miscavige cut off communication with the city. Over the past two years, the properties surrounding the shop have been sold to Scientologist-controlled companies. Story by TRACEY McMANUS The comments below have not been moderated. They started hosting concerts on the waterfront that now draw thousands. They adopted a master plan in 2016 that envisioned housing, a hotel and shopping to complement what they hope will be Clearwaters revitalized downtown less than a mile to the south. He promoted the site to about 75 hoteliers and developers across the country. They called it, quote, "little more than self-serving propaganda intended to give the appearance of objective reporting." Clearwater also has more vagrants. The church offered $15 million for the parcel. The land grab started as tensions grew between the church and the Clearwater City Council. You are a fundamentalist Scientologist, or youre not one at all.. Toni Says: What is Medicares creditable prescription drug coverage? That's the findings of a story in the Tampa Bay Times that's headlined clear takeover. Thank you very much. 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. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Did you do your taxes? That point is brought home in an editorial ('One Community, Many Good People' ) in the new edition of our Freedom Magazine. 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. They haven't submitted redevelopment plans. After the Times reported the purchases, Miscavige met with city officials and acknowledged the church acquired them as part of his plan to spend $55 million renovating downtown buildings and recruiting high-end retail to empty store fronts. [ The full history: Scientologys 40 years of conflict with the City of Clearwater, recapped ]. 'The true story of downtown development is presented in an article in that Freedom, 'Who Is The Real Block To Downtown Revitalization?' '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. Walking through Clearwater people will find vacant lots, an empty former jewelry store, an dead laundromat and an abandoned Walgreens. '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. It's not clear how many followers are based in Clearwater. Zano did not respond to questions about what his plans for the properties. It does not include properties recently bought by companies run by church members. Scientology is a snitching culture and it's deeply embedded.) I, Scientology cant clear the planet or fix every issue. Asked directly whether Scientology orchestrated or paid for any of the sales, the church did not answer. The only thing you see is the Scientology minions ." Irwin said the church members are spotted wearing "brown dress . Paid in cash. 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. 9,523 Scientologists live in the Tampa Bay area. Dalai Lama. 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. MCMANUS: Scientology arrived in downtown Clearwater in 1975. 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. 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 also targeted the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Justice and scores of foreign governments. 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. Seven businesses have left following recent purchases, and at least three more are leaving this year, including Clearwater Plumbing and Gulf Coast Marine. About $15.9 million was paid in cash. The Times used the date that transactions were recorded in Clerk of Courts official record as the date of sale. Take away the church footprint, a few condo towers and all buildings owned by the government. A uniformed member of Scientologys full-time work force, the Sea Org, walks along N Fort Harrison Avenue, passing a vacant restaurant. Never seen anything like it': Medics and care workers hits back at Matt Hancock by revealing Rishi Sunak told Matt Hancock that Dominic Cummings' time in Downing Street was 'a nightmare', new WhatsApp Madonna's Skid Row brother: For years the superstar, 64, was accused of shunning him. 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. The church has amassed 60 properties in Pinellas County since arriving in 1975. The only record of redevelopment that has occurred among the 45 properties is a roof replacement on a vacant building on North Fort Harrison Avenue and internal demolition in a former flooring center two blocks north, according to notices in Pinellas County records. TRACEY MCMANUS: Hi, Lulu. It's GRAYGATE! Although I find Clearwater to be fairly safe, it has more crime than Naples. how to create a signature in outlook 365; hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater. srini devadas linkedin Ron DeSantis on Monday undid a looming $1.2 billion tax hike on Central Florida residents that he inadvertently imposed a year ago in a hastily passed bill meant to punish Walt Disney Co. for criticizing his so-called "Don't Say Gay" law. The Times counted each parcel that was assigned a value by the property appraiser as a single property with five exceptions. hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater. 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. AND it is NOT in a Flood Zone! They came in under a fake name to buy the Fort Harrison Hotel, a historic hotel right in the center of downtown. 'There is nothing unnatural about Scientologists wanting to live in the same city that houses the international spiritual headquarters of their church,' a letter signed by Scientology attorney Gary Soter to the Times said. hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater. Leading up to the waterfront, 22 of the first 33 buildings now have ties to Scientology. The Tampa Bay Times discovered them by reviewing more than 1,000 deeds and business records, then interviewed more than 90 people to reconstruct the circumstances surrounding the transactions. Save. Thirteen were existing tenants when he bought the properties. by. Looking at the Times map of the new ownership, City Council member David Allbritton recalled a moment from 2017 that now seems telling. Its too soon to say how the shift in ownership will affect downtown. But the couple isnt ready to let go. 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. 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. When the council voted to buy the property, the chamber erupted in applause. It said information in parishioner folders is sacrosanct and claims of blackmail have long since been disproven.. Scientologys extraordinary influence over its members has been documented in government investigations and testimony from former parishioners throughout its 65-year history. The Church's celebrity members Tom Cruise and John Travolta are known to have estates in Clearwater not far from the Scientology headquarters. Even city leaders said they didnt know the full extent of the purchases until they were shown maps created by the Times. 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. None of the other parishioners whose companies bought property since 2017 responded to questions about their plans. A scuffed copy of the Koran. It was owned by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. (On Sunday, the Tampa Bay Times reported that since 2017, companies run by members of Scientology bought another 86 downtown commercial properties. "Then we realized our hotel room must have been bugged." After bolting from the center, $23,000 poorer, the Rowes say, they were chased repeatedly by Scientologists on foot and in cars. Some landlords tied to Scientology have helped bring life to portions of downtown. 1,915 reviews. 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. Hubbard had a vision of making Clearwater a spiritual home for his Church of Scientology. 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.. Did you check your W-2? Some have donated millions to the church. Scientology spokesman Ben Shaw said in a statement that the church is not involved with the acquisitions. One of the factors they do control is the waterfront land that's protected by city charter, that they are in the middle of a $64 million plan right now to redesign and develop into a park with gardens and a concert venue. Businesses without ties to the church are moving into a few of those. Most of the sales have not previously been reported. Thats a factor we do not control, Delk said. They come from all walks of life, professions and ethnic groups. A broker is trying to buy the building Peter and Emily Lares have owned for decades. Answer (1 of 12): Openly, they tend to congregate around the area of downtown where they work and own most of the real estate. Among other things, Ozsan is, according to our source, Trish Duggan's money manager. Scientology came to downtown Clearwater in 1975. 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. But thats not important. Fischler, a local real estate agent, negotiated at least 10 of the downtown deals, according to interviews with sellers. Suspicion swirled. Since arriving in Clearwater in 1975, the Church of Scientology has purchased 60 properties in Pinellas County under its name. Gulf Coast Marine and ClearwaterPlumbing. Trending; . The church stopped communicating with the city. The Church of Scientology doubled its footprint in Clearwater, Florida in just three years after shelling out $103million The Church first landed in Clearwater in 1975 with one hotel. Non-Scientologists who get too close are a threat to the operation, said Mat Pesch, who spent 27 years in the Sea Org and worked as Flags treasury secretary before defecting in 2005. Its a business, Pesch said. The Church has not revealed any motive behind their domination of downtown Clearwater. MCMANUS: Scientology arrived in downtown Clearwater in 1975. Norm Novitsky hung up when asked by a reporter about the companies plans. She said, Well, well have to invite you down for dinner, he recalled. A lot of them are vacant lots, vacant buildings, empty storefronts. The city wants to turn downtown into a regional destination for food, drink and entertainment. 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. Ive been waiting for this neighborhood to clean up for 30 years, and I still think its around the corner, Rice said. Then the council interfered with a land deal that Scientology demanded for its plan. View Hotel. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Just out of curiosity, when you say the tactics that they used in the '70s, what were those? 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. Main Menu 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) Dozens of residents showed up to speak. The Boca Raton Beach Club. Columnist Stephanie Hayes will share thoughts, feelings and funny business with you every Monday. Most did not respond or declined to comment. However, it hasnt always been clear to me as to just what does that actually mean.. The Travolta home. Police were quick to respond. Boca Raton, FL . How Boris Johnson's Partygate tormentor Sue Gray is now enmeshed in her own row - as it is DAN HODGES: This grubby Sue Gray recruitment annihilates all pretence that Sir Keir Starmer is a man of 'He was a natural leader': Mourners gather for the funeral of Thai cave survivor who died aged 17 after 'You'll be missed forever': Elizabeth Hurley and son Damian share heartfelt tribute to her late ex Shane Mamma Mia! hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater dr thomas horn wikipedia. In September, Andrus completed construction there on Marina Bay 880, two towers that hug the marina with 87 luxury condos and amenities like an Olympic-sized pool and sauna. Concerned he wouldnt be able to pay his mortgage, Argall said he deeded the building, appraised at $780,000, back to the previous owner. And it's all surrounding the city's downtown waterfront. 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. 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. It was a very turbulent time. The church acquired three others in a land swap. 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). But David Kerr, a local real estate agent and parishioner, walked in one day with an offer. For Sale: 500000 - Residential, 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,315 sqft at 1359 HOWARD STREET in Clearwater South. And the properties cover about 100 acres. Welcome. But in the 70s, Andrus was named an unindicted co-conspirator in Scientologys government espionage scheme, which sent 11 Scientologists to federal prison. They posted guards wielding billy clubs and mace. His wife, parishioner and real estate agent, Terri Novitsky, represented the buyer in many of the deals, according to interviews with sellers. The WORST care homes in England: Interactive map reveals the lowest-rated 2,530 residences - so is there one 'I can still hear their cruel laughter': Dr Alex George bravely reveals he suffered with an eating disorder Matt Hancock discussed 'deploying' new virus variant to 'frighten the pants off everyone' as former Health 'So many dead. I saw a business opportunity, Ezra said. or "selling postcards" or borrowing money. The Church didn't comment on whether Scientology orchestrated or paid for any of the real estate sales. 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. He owns Stonebridge Real Estate and served as president of the Florida Gulfcoast Commercial Association of Realtors in 2017. 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.. hornitos tequila vs patron. GARCIA-NAVARRO: What is the view of the local community? GARCIA-NAVARRO: So the fact that the church is now buying up these properties through proxy organizations would maybe ring some alarm bells for the community because of what has happened in the past. Instead, the aquarium sold it to the city in April 2017 for a lot less $4.25 million. what does holetta mean in polish renault clio steering wheel controls not working hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater. People arrive for the celebration of the opening of the new Scientology Flag Building on November 16, 2013 in Clearwater, Scientology boasts 10million followers, but surveys and accounts from former members suggest there are no more than 30,000 worldwide.