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A broker is trying to buy the building Peter and Emily Lares have owned for decades. Then, the . But the aquarium rejected his bid in order to sell it to the city for $4.25 million. 'Theyve got one intention, and one intention only. Conspiracy theories are nothing new when it comes to the Church of Scientology. Flag is supposed to be an insulated oasis. Born in Germany, he began his career at the Hotel Restaurant Melber, followed by the Four Seasons in Munich and the Hotel Kempinski in Berlin. DeSantis vetoed a $1M Day of Service program that was worth so much more | Column, DeSantis calls for open market to compete with Advanced Placement, Supreme Court weighs Biden student loan plan worth billions, Maple Leafs: Lightning, other division rivals did not spur deal, The youngest Grand Prix of St. Petersburg driver? Want more of our free, weekly newslettersinyourinbox? Some landlords tied to Scientology have helped bring life to portions of downtown. Among them: make Clearwater known as the first Scientology city in the world.. 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. 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! No one from the church dictates to me what to buy, what to sell, what to do.. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard had written about doing away with governments and replacing them with a Scientology-run society. 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. After negotiations, Kerrs company paid Yarbrough $1.1 million in cash for the lots, then valued by Pinellas County at $331,000. Copyright 2019 NPR. New Pasco County commissioner accused of faking his residency, Guide to Plant Citys Strawberry Festival, one of the largest festivals in the nation, Gov. The land grab started as tensions grew between the church and the Clearwater City Council. Real estate agent Daphna Fischler brokered at least 10 downtown sales on behalf of seven buyers. In summer 2018, Fischler walked into Bob Lees Auto Repair on Park Street to make owner Dennis Bosi an offer. 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. Not so shipshape! Although Zano is not well known in Clearwater, the companies spent $16.7 million acquiring 26 commercial properties downtown. She said, Well, well have to invite you down for dinner, he recalled. The church also targeted the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Justice and scores of foreign governments. Asked directly whether Scientology orchestrated or paid for any of the sales, the church did not answer. Longtime City Manager Bill Horne said he cant tell whether the church wants the same thing. Thirteen were existing tenants when he bought the properties. But the couple isnt ready to let go. Tom Cruise, a devout follower of Scientology, has been effectively 'homeless' since he put his homes in California and New York on the marketearning GBP 41.5million ($55 million) in the process. And the mayor at the time, Gabe Cazares, really raised the alarm. Since it was founded in 1955, Scientology has purchased hundreds, possibly thousands of buildings. He took over Bob Lees Auto to continue the business legacy and served on the Downtown Development Board for a decade. Walking through Clearwater people will find vacant lots, an empty former jewelry store, an dead laundromat and an abandoned Walgreens. June 22, 2022; Posted by . 325 . Seven businesses have left following recent purchases, and at least three more are leaving this year, including Clearwater Plumbing and Gulf Coast Marine. We profile several of them here. The Resort at Longboat Key Club . MCMANUS: It kind of started in early 2017. 275 reviews #24 of 428 Restaurants in Clearwater $ American Cafe Diner. Thank you guys , Hello Mike, during the live chat you mentioned your first encounter with Mark Bunker back in the LMT years. 1,915 reviews. About $15.9 million was paid in cash. Hubbard had a vision of making Clearwater a spiritual home for his Church of Scientology. It said information in parishioner folders is sacrosanct and claims of blackmail have long since been disproven.. Toni Says: What is Medicares creditable prescription drug coverage? I agree, the blog has a limited purpose, Super excellent, really great chemistry, so enjoyable to watch. Project Normandy was described in one of hundreds of internal memos Scientology officials exchanged about their plans to infiltrate and control Clearwater. The plan. And Scientology has an interest in keeping that insulated according to former executives that we've interviewed. It is now 6PM. About 72 percent of those properties are tax exempt for religious uses. The churchs campus grew slowly over decades. ), 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. The churchs influence comes from the estimated $3 billion in cash and assets it has collected from its followers. Thank you very much. They also pointed to the latest edition of their Freedom magazine for what they called an accurate portrayal of the church and its members in Clearwater. But after Anthony How Scientology doubled its downtown Clearwater footprint in 3 years | Investigations | Tampa Bay Times, Do not sell or share my personal information. what does holetta mean in polish renault clio steering wheel controls not working hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater. The church promised to spend $55 million. Suspicion swirled. The most recent deal came when a New York firm bought a former demolition yard on Nicholson Street for $593,400 on Oct. 20 and then flipped it two days later for $1 million in cash to one of the Scientology-tied limited liability companies, according to property records. But his offer had a catch. The most widely publicized death of one of 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 1995.. What religion is Scientology similar to? It has terrorized defectors with private investigators, smear campaigns and relentless litigation. As a Designed to Dream property, we've created a relaxing environment so that you can start your day well-rested. In private meetings with council members, the Scientology leader described a plan for high-end shops, Cleveland Street facade renovations and an entertainment complex involving actor Tom Cruise, Scientologys most famous parishioner. Its designed not for recruiting new members but for hosting established followers. They have control over what businesses, if any, come in. In 2002, she was listed as an international deputy of a committee tasked with disseminating Scientology doctrine. (On Sunday, the Tampa Bay Times reported that since 2017, companies run by members of Scientology bought another 86 downtown commercial properties. 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. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. You'll find plenty of sites, activities, and attractions to explore near our pet-friendly Clearwater hotel, including downtown Tampa and downtown St. Petersburg, which is only 30 minutes away, Celebration Station, Honeymoon Island State Park, Clearwater Beach, Caladesi Island State Park, and Busch Gardens. The churchs hostility toward the public became clear from its first days in the city in fall 1975. The goal was to capture the area immediately surrounding both Scientologys headquarters, City Hall and the city-owned waterfront. 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. ', Freedom Magazine is a Scientology produced publication. But its potential is still untapped, with prime vacant land overlooking Clearwater Harbor. Just make more income with Scientology. There's parishioners that come here from all over the world to take courses in high level auditing that's not offered anywhere else. 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. 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. After FBI raids uncovered the infiltrations, city officials launched their own investigations. Shephard's Beach Resort. Hotel in Clearwater. The Church of Scientology and its parishioners now own a lot of real estate in Clearwater, Fla., as reported by the Tampa Bay Times. Fuster and Ozsan go back a long way to Altea Real Property Ltd. in London. Both are supposed to open soon. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Just out of curiosity, when you say the tactics that they used in the '70s, what were those? Seventy-three percent of the property is tax-exempt for religious purposes. The Times described sales as cash transactions when they were paid without a mortgage filed in public records. The few that chose to speak on selling their property said they were approached by a Scientologist who made offers and paid in cash. Did you check your W-2? The comments below have not been moderated. 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. Former parishioners say the church has a history of interfering in Scientologists downtown business. Miscavige cut off communication with the city. 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. 0. He wanted the council to stop trying to buy a vacant lot on which the church was also bidding. In just three years, starting with a frantic land grab in January 2017, Scientology doubled its footprint in the city. Although that arrangement is standard in real estate, it makes it impossible to know whether the properties are owned by the Scientologists who manage the companies, the wealthy church or another hidden party. 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. The city and the church fought in court for years. 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 full history: Scientologys 40 years of conflict with the City of Clearwater, recapped ]. 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. The Church of Scientology has firmly made Clearwater, Floridaits home in the blink of an eye - shelling out $103million to sweep up 101 acres of the city's waterfront downtown area over the course of three years. or "selling postcards" or borrowing money. Letsgetstarted. The most widely publicized death of one of 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 1995.. What religion is Scientology similar to? 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). The church now completely controls the heart of the city, save for a few condominium tower and buildings owned by the government, the Tampa Bay Times discovered after reviewing 1,000 deeds and business records, shocking city leaders and residents at the scope of the churchs dominance. Scientology founderL. Ron Hubbard called Clearwater its spiritual headquarters. 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. In January and February 2017, as the council was preparing to approve the consultants concept, a handful of companies bought six commercial properties downtown. Scientology in Clearwater Big Brother is Watching You. Five unexpected signs in your 20s and 30s you're at risk of developing heart disease later in life. Inc. magazine's 2019 report on the 5,000 fastest-growing privately owned businesses in America cites 16 firms based in Clearwater. 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. The Church did however slam the Times for its reporting for having a 'preconceived agenda to present every Scientology story in a false and unfavorable light.'. "Working from home" after a hurricane means going to a hotel, since the power always goes out for between 2-7 days. Nearly all of the properties were bought through limited liability companies, which are required to disclose their operators but not their owners. Scientology has said it has 10 million followers, but surveys and accounts from former members suggest there are no more than 30,000 worldwide. how to create a signature in outlook 365; hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater. I'm glad you brought this up! But even when the church isnt in control, its presence can deter development. Some of the parishioners have a history of working on Scientologys behalf. He walked away with nothing. 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.'. While theres no law against hanging onto property, developers typically buy land, build on it and sell it for profit. They doubled the churchs footprint in less than three years. Scientologists make up a diverse group in Clearwater. The church has shed no light on its plans. And in 1977, the FBI raided Scientology's headquarters in LA and D.C. And they uncovered hundreds of thousands of memos and documents. There comes a time when silence is betrayal. - Martin Luther King Jr. Communication is the universal solvent - L Ron Hubbard, When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon. Thomas Paine, "Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. Investigative journalism like this is the most expensive work that we do. Yarbrough never learned the buyers identity. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the earth."