companies owned by scientologists in clearwater

Since arriving in Clearwater in 1975, the Church of Scientology has purchased 60 properties in Pinellas County under its name. 1. I would assume hes a Scientologist or involved with them in some fashion. The 2017-2019 Downtown Clearwater land purchases made by Scientologists totaled $103 million. Many of their properties weren't listed for sale. Since July 2019, eight limited liability companies managed or operated by members of the church have bought 45 properties in North Marina, including Chesneys. The church requires followers to shun family members, friends and business contacts who defy it. Since July 2019, eight limited liability companies managed or operatedby members of the church have bought 45 properties in North Marina, including Chesneys. Flag is supposed to be an insulated oasis. 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. In North America, Melitta is the leading brand of coffee filters. Hayes, the attorney and parishioner involved in the rest of the North Marina purchases, was added as manager on the companies filings. He owns Stonebridge Real Estate and served as president of the Florida Gulfcoast Commercial Association of Realtors in 2017. Our opinion is that Riley was instructed to get ahead of the story by bringing up Scientology before he was asked about it. There's parishioners that come here from all over the world to take courses in high level auditing that's not offered anywhere else. Melitta electrics and accessories are manufactured, marketed and distributed under a licensing agreement. Cons. "I do not want to be associated . About 72 percent of those properties are tax exempt for religious uses. I mean, how big is the Church of Scientology where you are? 20, 2019. That's the findings of a story in the Tampa Bay Times that's headlined clear takeover. It appears that Project Normandy is still operational. Andrus did not respond to a phone message or email inquiring if he was involved in the 45 purchases in the blocks surrounding his condo project. The church has amassed 60 properties in Pinellas County since arriving in 1975. What's more, the Times found a Scientology magazine from the 1990s that listed goals for the new millennium. I dont know what their plan is.. 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 was unaware of the significant number of properties owned by Scientologists in the Clearwater area and are delighted you provided the information.. MCMANUS: Well, our reporting shows that Scientology has a big interest in preserving its downtown campus. And the tactics they were using to establish area control included infiltration, spying, smearing enemies. He is not listed on the corporate filings for any of the eight limited liability companies that recently bought the North Marina properties. Miscavige cut off communication with the city. She reported full-time for six months, interviewing more than 90 people and reviewing more than 1,000 documents, to bring you this story. Disloyalty has life-changing consequences. Terri Novitsky and Hayes did not return calls and emails requesting comment. For the first time, a majority of the boards members will be Scientologists. 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. The church acquired three others in a land swap. Even city leaders said they didnt know the full extent of the purchases until they were shown maps created by the Times. He shows up in Clearwater from Arizona a few months ago. 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. Flag is run by the churchs full-time workforce, the Sea Org, whose members sign billion-year contracts and work around the clock. Former parishioners say the church has a history of interfering in Scientologists downtown business. They haven't started construction - or are they going to redevelop them and bring businesses in and contribute to a vibrant downtown? 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. It would be the same if I was a (proud) Christian, Jew, or Muslim. Indeed, Scientology used the name The United Churches of Florida to purchase the Fort Harrison in 1975 for $3 million in cash. Rodney Riley is the CEO of RSR Capital Advisors in Clearwater, Florida. 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. During spiritual counseling, parishioners are interrogated about their deepest secrets, which are recorded in folders and stored indefinitely. 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. The Church of Scientology and its parishioners now own a lot of real estate in Clearwater, Fla., as reported by the Tampa Bay Times. Argall left the church and was forced to abandon his business of more than 20 years. They haven't submitted redevelopment plans. Fifty-eight are in the city of Clearwater and 49 are downtown.. It is headed by David Miscavige [1] . Do you own your house? In mid-2018, one year before the string of North Marina purchases took off, a company controlled by developer Brian Andrus, a longtime member of Scientology, bought the private marina next to the citys Seminole Boat Ramp. 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. Operatives framed the mayor in a staged hit-and-run and spread false rumors he was having an extramarital affair. Please consider supporting us with a tax-deductible donation to the Tampa Bay Times Investigative Fund. I just was curious if this is possibly a decent job or if EVERY scientologist owned company is a recruiting scam. 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. Scientology Fines OTs $100,000 if They Talk About Xenu or Body Thetans! Seventy-three percent of the property is tax-exempt for religious purposes. It has to be somebody with the money to invest in a real estate development deal. He wanted the council to stop trying to buy a vacant lot on which the church was also bidding. Melitta coffee filters are manufactured in Clearwater, Florida. And it's all surrounding the city's downtown waterfront. Block after block, vacant lots sit untouched, and storefronts remain empty: A former jewelry store. They didnt say what they were going to do with them, and I never asked, said Chesney, who works as the citys marine and aviation department director. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. Recommend. 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. He called the Tampa Bay Times questions about parishioners activity not just stupid, false and offensive, but un-American., You talk out of both sides of your mouth: If redevelopment is being done by the city or a member of another religion, not Scientology, it is good; if redevelopment is being done by a Scientologist, it is bad, Shaw said. And the properties cover about 100 acres. Wayne E. Lee ran his Auto Parts Distributors business on Park Street since 1982. The spa's website makes it clear that, "In fact, we are, by definition, a Christian based business.". The analysis considered property within the general boundaries of Cedar Street to the north, Missouri Avenue to the east, Chestnut Street to the south and the Intracoastal Waterway to the west. 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. As a general rule, when someone makes an unsolicited statement, as Riley did by mentioning Mormons and Scientologists, it suggests to us hidden connections. The churchs hostility toward the public became clear from its first days in the city in fall 1975. I dont mix my personal business with other areas in my life, said Terri Novitsky, a Scientologist who manages a company that bought two office buildings on Chestnut Street in 2017. The churchs campus grew slowly over decades. After negotiations, Kerrs company paid Yarbrough $1.1 million in cash for the lots, then valued by Pinellas County at $331,000. In a letter to the Times, the church denied it ever tried to take control of the city. In a letter, the church said the Times is misinterpreting Scientology policy and that other religions also practice shunning. and last updated 7:53 PM, Oct 21, 2019. The city wants to turn downtown into a regional destination for food, drink and entertainment. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. They paid $26 million. Leading up to the waterfront, 22 of the first 33 buildings now have ties to Scientology. But the couple isnt ready to let go. In her bombshell 2019 news story Clear Takeover, Tracey McManus revealed that $103 million in Downtown Clearwater land purchases were made by a series of LLC's owned by Scientologists. More interesting is that the 15 parcels of land Riley plans acquire in Clearwater are owned by Scientologists. In January and February 2017, as the council was preparing to approve the consultants concept, a handful of companies bought six commercial properties downtown. The analysis did not include residential parcels except in cases where they were bought in conjunction with commercial property or vacant land. Business Outlook. The more its isolated and doesnt have people who are non-Scientologists around the area, the better.. Since arriving in Clearwater in 1975, the Church of Scientology has bought 60 . . The property wasnt on the market. They spent $6.5 million to renovate the public Seminole Boat Ramp, a popular centerpiece seen as a sign of the citys commitment. GARCIA-NAVARRO: What is the view of the local community? Thats a factor we do not control, Delk said. After the Times reported the purchases, Miscavige acknowledged the properties were bought for a second revitalization strategy one devised by the church. In recent puff piece media coverage in Clearwater, we are told that Riley: is in the process of buying 15 tracts in the Clearwater Marina area to develop what he is calling the Clearwater Marina District a connected walkable community with modern offices, retail, luxury condos and a boutique hotel, as well as affordable housing. The Scientology leader had offered the Clearwater Marine Aquarium $15 million for that 1.4-acre grass lot on Pierce Street. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with reporter Tracey McManus. When the council voted to buy the property, the chamber erupted in applause. 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. They came in under a fake name to buy the Fort Harrison Hotel, a historic hotel right in the center of downtown. Thank you for having us. If this is Trish Duggans money, and Scientologist Osman Ozsan manages her money, then that could very likely make Trish Duggan the Scientologist financier behind the scenes on the Clearwater land purchases. If Epsteins client was not the Church of Scientology then who is his client? Hayes, the attorney and parishioner involved in the rest of the North Marina purchases, was added as manager on the companies filings. #4 Best Company In Clearwater Company Description: Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Clearwater, Fla., Senior Home Care is a privately held company operating nearly 50 branch locations with 1,800 employees through its Senior Home Care offices in Florida and Synergy Home Care offices in Louisiana. Florida migrant flights lawsuit dismissed in wake of Legislature passing law, Editorial Cartoons for Thursday from Times Wire Services, Bucs new coordinator is confident! Fifty-eight are in the city of Clearwater and 49 are downtown. But after he forwarded an email critical of the organization in 2012 to another parishioner, the church began an excommunication process that would have forced his partner of 24 years to stop working with him and his tenants to move out. And he was going to build an entertainment complex with Tom Cruise. 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. Osman Ozsan runs two funds in Clearwater: According to online records, Ozsan, Gregori And Company LLC has only two client accounts: Osman Ozsan is on the Advisory Board of CA South Development, a firm founded by Scientologists Megan and Stephen Epstein. And yes, everyone that works here is asked to keep politics and religion out . 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. 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, Horne said. CBRE is an acronym for CB Richard Ellis. Hibbard previously served as Mayor from 2005 until 2012, leaving office because of term limits. In Florida, limited liability companies that buy property are required to disclose administrative operators but not their owners. Scientologists deal with useful non-Scientologists quite often. MCMANUS: Yeah, I think that the key here is the uncertainty. This makes no sense, except of course to a bigot.. Philip Kirkpatrick, Clearwaters senior economic development coordinator, said Stephen Epstein spoke with city officials in December about a potential commercial and multifamily project on the site. [1] Agami also signed two more leases on the same block with restaurants owned by people not connected to the church. Instead, Epstein took the formal step of using an affidavit to deny that the Church of Scientology is not the client. All rights reserved. Some have donated millions to the church. The Fort Harrison Hotel serves as the flagship building of the Flag Land Base, the Church of Scientology's spiritual headquarters in Clearwater, Florida, US.It is owned and operated by the Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization, Inc., a subsidiary of the Church of Scientology International.. Write by: . Some of the parishioners have a history of working on Scientologys behalf. 2. 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 Church of Scientology acquired the building in 2017 as part of its downtown redevelopment plan. MCMANUS: The reason Scientology has such an outsized influence is because of the cash and assets it has, which is estimated to be $3 billion. The total of all Scientology-connected Clearwater real estate purchases $114.8 million. And inside those findings was a plan that Scientology operatives had created and written to establish area control. ), 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. Dozens of residents showed up to speak. 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. In 2017 the church acquired six downtown Clearwater retail properties through limited liability companies. Gulf Coast Marine and ClearwaterPlumbing. CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) A newspaper report says the Church of Scientology and companies run by its members spent more than $100 million over the past . Purchases in the North Marina Area took off in July 2019, three months after the City Council voted to buy the historic North Ward Elementary School across the street from the Seminole ramp and Andrus condo. We built a graphic demonstrating just how little is left. 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. Everyone in KnowBe4 knows I'm a (proud) Scientologist. This gallery shows all 60 properties Scientology owns under its name in Pinellas county and the six retail properties the church acquired through limited liability companies in 2017. Tyler Rice has run Carillon Flooring Center on North Fort Harrison for 30 years, the business his father started there in 1964. If you are looking for a career where your coworkers and leadership care about you and your success, AMI is the right place! Lee sold when Fischler upped her offer to $410,000 cash for the building valued at $109,000 by the property appraiser. 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 now own most commercial property on every block within walking distance of the waterfront. 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. Philip Kirkpatrick, Clearwaters senior economic development coordinator, said Stephen Epstein spoke with city officials in December about a potential commercial and multifamily project on the site. By then, he had found an auto garage he could buy in Dunedin. You have some buyers here that their motivations are not really clear, he said, so its tough to make economic sense out of it.. The Times report describes spaces such as a former jewelry store, an empty Walgreens and a deserted laundromat sitting empty and unused. The Church of Scientology and companies run by its members have spent $103 million since 2017 buying about 100 properties. 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. There are 22 Church of Scientology facilities in downtown Clearwater. Mayor George Cretekos listens at a City Council meeting in April 2017 as residents pushed the council to purchase a vacant lot that Scientology also wanted. NIO stock swings lower after reporting losses that were much wider than expected, 3Ms stock surges after company says DOD data show 90% of earplug plaintiffs had normal hearing, Marc Benioffs Salesforce fairy tale is crumbling down around him. Most of the new owners have done little with their acquisitions. In 2016, city consultants began planning what has become a $64 million effort to reinvigorate the waterfront called Imagine Clearwater. 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.. City leaders spent tens of millions improving streets, subsidizing residential projects and hiring consultants. 9,523 Scientologists live in the Tampa Bay area. Investigative journalism like this is the most expensive work that we do. Want more of our free, weekly newslettersinyourinbox? After his stint at CBRE, Riley worked for Caliber Wells in Scottsdale, Arizona and then left the firm. GARCIA-NAVARRO: So clearly they wanted these properties a great deal. The report notes that half of these properties have been bought since January 2017 after the organization and the Clearwater City Council presented competing redevelopment projects to the downtown district and its waterfront. This is the Church of Hyper-Surveillance that knows everything about the private and business lives of its members; their social media activities; and even what they did in their past lives. Columnist Stephanie Hayes will share thoughts, feelings and funny business with you every Monday. She estimated that around a quarter of the . Scientologists Brett Miller and Joanie and Steve Sigal recommended Frank Hibbard for Mayor. In six cases, buyers paid quadruple the propertys value. He is linked to the Church of Scientology via the Epsteins and Trish Duggan. Do I spend another 10 years and see what happens in downtown Clearwater?, Scientology, Pinellas County and Clearwater Reporter. Weve spent a lot of happy years here, Lares said. But in the 70s, Andrus was named an unindicted co-conspirator in Scientologys government espionage scheme, which sent 11 Scientologists to federal prison. Thirteen were existing tenants when he bought the properties. If our work stats did not improve day to day . Companies controlled by Hayes have bought about half the property on Rices block and nearly the entire block directly south. . Then walk down Cleveland Street downtowns main artery. 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 new owners also are sitting on about 30 undeveloped lots. Real estate offices, vitamin shops and vacant storefronts fill prime locations that in a more vibrant downtown might hold breweries, restaurants and boutiques. Four high-ranking defectors describe bizarre behavior and physical beatings inflicted by Scientology leader David Miscavige. EMPIRICAL PROSPECTING COMPANY LIMITED. A for-lease sign sits in long-vacant retail space at The SkyView condo tower, owned by Scientologist and developer Moises Agami. Fischler, a local real estate agent, negotiated at least 10 of the downtown deals, according to interviews with sellers. This means the total revenue of the "300" scientology businesses that are owned by the 9700 local scientologists is equivalent to 7.5 average car dealers. A lot of them are vacant lots, vacant buildings, empty storefronts. Scientology has been accused of using the information as blackmail. Church officials used a straw corporation to buy the historic Fort Harrison Hotel and moved in under a fake name. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Who are they buying from, and how much were they offering? High-ranking defectors provide an unprecedented inside look at Scientology, its leader and the Lisa McPherson case. Since arriving in Clearwater in 1975, the Church of Scientology has bought 60 properties in Pinellas County under its name: 58 are in the city of Clearwater and 49 are downtown. About $15.9 million was paid in cash. Scientologists living in Clearwater span the gamut of professional life . About 72 percent of those properties are tax exempt for religious uses. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email along with 7129 other subscribers. After FBI raids uncovered the infiltrations, city officials launched their own investigations. Scientology leader David Miscavige told city officials the properties were part of the churchs proposed retail redevelopment plan. The church has shed no light on its plans. Moreover, tens of thousands of Scientologists travel to the city each year from around the world to participate in religious services at the Church's spiritual home.

Renta Anual Crucigrama, Thomas And Azteca Henry Net Worth, Mixed Population Housing In Baltimore, Fivem Ready Police Uniform, Disadvantages Of Ants, Articles C