Disloyalty has life-changing consequences. The comments below have not been moderated. Scientology spokesman Ben Shaw said in a statement that the church is not involved with the acquisitions. Gulf Coast Marine and ClearwaterPlumbing. His partner is Scientologist Maria Dolores Gregori Fuster. It has terrorized defectors with private investigators, smear campaigns and relentless litigation. 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. Its like they are trying to control the whole thing.. Click here to read the story. The city and the church fought in court for years. The goal was to capture the area immediately surrounding both Scientologys headquarters, City Hall and the city-owned waterfront. Operatives framed the mayor in a staged hit-and-run and spread false rumors he was having an extramarital affair. For the first time, a majority of the boards members will be Scientologists. $500,000 USD: Your Dream Florida Home with heated Pool is within Reach! Hubbard had a vision of making Clearwater a spiritual home for his Church of Scientology. The other side of that is flag is run by the Sea Org, the Scientology's full-time workforce. My plan is to keep renting, Huestler said. Theyve got one intention, and one intention only, De Vocht said. The land grab started as tensions grew between the church and the Clearwater City Council. Nearly all of the properties were bought through limited liability companies, which are required to disclose their operators but not their owners. Welcome. TRACEY MCMANUS: Hi, Lulu. They have completed courses and spiritual counseling that can cost tens of thousands of dollars. However, it hasnt always been clear to me as to just what does that actually mean.. Scientology leader David Miscavige pictured above. And the mayor. Save. By then, he had found an auto garage he could buy in Dunedin. But after a dispute with the city, Miscavige cut communication. It set aside $10 million for secret real estate purchases in Clearwater. In 2018, Peter Lares got a call from Fischler, asking if hed sell the prominent building in the center of downtown that houses Emilys Restaurant. Epstein declined to name his client but responded to questions from the Times with an affidavit declaring it was not the Church of Scientology. Its designed not for recruiting new members but for hosting established followers. Jim Warren has lived in Clearwater since 1995 with his wife, Cindy, and their two children, Drew and Art. About 72 percent of those properties are tax exempt for religious uses. ( magazine) Applied Philosophy. The Imagine Clearwater project aims to transform the city-owned waterfront into a vibrant park with gardens, a concert green, a walkway with views of the Intracoastal Waterway and mixed-use projects. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the earth." But they werent ready to sell the building, which they had owned for 27 years. It teaches that expanding Scientology is key to saving the world, then wields a system of totalitarian policies to keep parishioners in line. Scientologists make up a diverse group in Clearwater. After buying eight buildings on and around Cleveland Street in 2018, Moises Agami, a parishioner and developer, now has restaurants, shops and other businesses in 16 of those 20 storefronts. Did you check your W-2? 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. russia and china vs nato war who would win. Hi, this is Stu, KnowBe4's CEO. "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. 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. When the council voted to buy the property, the chamber erupted in applause. A deserted coin laundry. Right now, at least 30 businesses owned by non-parishioners are renting from Scientologists. 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. He told Fischler that before Scientology bought the Fort Harrison Hotel in 1975 he worked there as a busboy. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving; it consists of professing to believe what he does not believe." 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. They came in under a fake name to buy the Fort Harrison Hotel, a historic hotel right in the center of downtown. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. 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. 0. warrants st martin parish. Best Clearwater hotels Most recommended Clearwater hotels Clearwater Inn $27+ Free Wi-Fi Sonesta Simply Suites Clearwater 8.1 Very good $157+ Parking Free Wi-Fi Pool Pet friendly Courtyard St. Petersburg Clearwater 8.9 Very good $340+ Parking Airport shuttle Free Wi-Fi Pool Extended Stay America Suites - St Petersburg - Clearwater - Executive Dr Once we dug into the data and pulled records, we found that LLCs tied to the Church of Scientology had bought about 100 properties. They envisioned apartment buildings with ground-floor stores, winding paths with views of the Intracoastal Waterway and a concert venue that would draw visitors from across the region. 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. On Sept. 7, Epsteins employee was removed from the corporate filings of the company that own the land. The few willing to answer questions said Scientology has no influence on their real estate dealings. Four high-ranking defectors describe bizarre behavior and physical beatings inflicted by Scientology leader David Miscavige. June 9, 2022. the Church of Scientology and Clearwater is incapable of being an honest hard-working partner with the city of Clearwater in revitalizing this town it's not possible because it's against their fundamental best interests this is the reason all of the Scientologists in the in Clearwater were instructed by the Office of Special Affairs to . Asked directly whether Scientology orchestrated or paid for any of the sales, the church did not answer. Bosi wasnt interested. A lot of them are vacant lots, vacant buildings, empty storefronts. You are told not to discuss politics or religion and one of the first things out of the CEO's mouth is that he is a Scientologist. Facebook. 275 reviews #24 of 428 Restaurants in Clearwater $ American Cafe Diner. But now these LLCs tied to Scientology control the retail district. Breakfast options. 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. In interviews, sellers said most of the transactions unfolded the same way. After a workout in our fitness center, begin your morning with our free hot breakfast, free hot coffee and free weekday newspaper in our . light blockers for blinds bunnings; black and white fallacy examples in commercials; what scope do marine snipers use; does squat and cough work; hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater The city received an informal inquiry last year related to vacant land at the southeast corner of Seminole Street and North Fort Harrison Avenue. 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 controversial church 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. Businesses might see this city project and say, yeah, let me take a chance on downtown and open up a business. From $150.62 per night. 1,915 reviews. Thank you guys , Hello Mike, during the live chat you mentioned your first encounter with Mark Bunker back in the LMT years. The church, its members and companies they control now own 185 properties that cover 101 acres in the center of downtown. But on days with no events, downtown feels deserted. And the properties cover about 100 acres. And half the sales were for more than double what the properties were valued by the county property appraiser, the Times found. Block after block, vacant lots sit untouched, and storefronts remain empty: A former jewelry store. We don't know what they're planning to do with the properties. Visitors are expected to stay in Scientologys hotels and eat at private church restaurants. View Hotel. Graphics by ELI MURRAY 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. The family of Moises Agami, a developer whose companies bought 20 storefronts and a parking lot last year, has donated at least $10 million. The greatest number of properties were bought by companies controlled by either Israeli businessman Itzhak Zano or another Scientologist who represents him. Agami also signed two more leases on the same block with restaurants owned by people not connected to the church. High-ranking defectors provide an unprecedented inside look at Scientology, its leader and the Lisa McPherson case. Clarion Inn & Suites Central Clearwater Beach. Since July 2019, eight limited liability companies managed or operated by members of the church have bought 45 properties in North Marina, including Chesneys. Times Staff WritersOct. Most of the new owners have done little with their acquisitions. Help us keep bringing stories like this to you. Hubbard had a vision of making Clearwater a spiritual home for his Church of Scientology. ', 'Ever since Ive been here, and ever since Ive dealt with Scientology officials, I have heard the leaders articulate that they want to see a vibrant downtown,,' Longtime City Manager Bill Horne, who wanted to turn downtown into a mall and entertainment center, said. What Clearwaters City Council thinks, Scientologys 40 years of conflict with Clearwater, recapped, See a slideshow of all the churchs buildings. The memos were later seized by the FBI. Since arriving in Clearwater in 1975, the Church of Scientology has purchased 60 properties in Pinellas County under its name. 1991: An investment firm owned by Joel Feshbach, an acknowledged Scientologist, purchased Cocolat, a West Coast candy company that was having some financial . Did you check your W-2? This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. 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 . The dowtown area of Clearwater is dominated by buildings owned by the Scientologists. 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 churchs influence comes from its massive wealth, estimated around $3billion in cash and assets, collected from devoted followers. '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. A broker who was a Scientologist approached a downtown property owner. You are a fundamentalist Scientologist, or youre not one at all.. 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. Tin Can Cafe. Lares and his wife, Emily, sold the diner inside a decade ago. Each had proposed major redevelopment projects, designed to lure new business into the empty storefronts that surround the city-owned waterfront and the churchs spiritual headquarters. The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination. In the 70s, Andrus was named an unindicted co-conspirator in a Scientology plan to infiltrate the government. Searcy felt like hed created a canvas for a dream hotel, condo and retail project: near the bridge to Clearwater Beach, no height restrictions, all under $5 million. I thought this person was a cult member immediately . They keep their operations going. Fischler did not respond to phone messages, a certified letter or a note left at her condo. 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. That point is brought home in an editorial ('One Community, Many Good People' ) in the new edition of our Freedom Magazine.

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