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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. And it's also basically the financial nucleus of the entire organization. Scientologys survival depends on the preservation of its headquarters in Clearwater. 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. 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. ANTIFRAGILE LIMITED "You have some buyers here that their motivations are not really clear," he said, "so it's tough to make economic sense out . The Church was unaware of the significant number of properties owned by Scientologists in the Clearwater area and are delighted you provided the information.. I just was curious if this is possibly a decent job or if EVERY scientologist owned company is a recruiting scam. It would be the same if I was a (proud) Christian, Jew, or Muslim. Scientologists Brett Miller and Joanie and Steve Sigal recommended Frank Hibbard for Mayor. 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. The new owners also are sitting on about 30 undeveloped lots. 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. This purchase was part of Project Normandy, a covert Scientology program to take over Clearwater. The churchs hostility toward the public became clear from its first days in the city in fall 1975. In addition to a park and amphitheater, Imagine Clearwater also calls for several new projects on the waterfront with residences and retail. One of these accounts shows discretionary assets of $134.77 million. 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. Subscribe to our free Stephinitely newsletter. Seven businesses have left following recent purchases, and at least three more are leaving this year, including Clearwater Plumbing and Gulf Coast Marine. 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. This is a very interesting report. 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. The few willing to answer questions said Scientology has no influence on their real estate dealings. These workers sign billion year contracts, are paid very little, work around the clock. The church, its members and companies they control now own 185 properties that cover 101 acres in the center of downtown. And he was going to build an entertainment complex with Tom Cruise. Scientology spokesman Ben Shaw said in a statement that the church is not involved with the acquisitions. Flag is supposed to be an insulated oasis. Flag is run by the churchs full-time workforce, the Sea Org, whose members sign billion-year contracts and work around the clock. ARKWRIGHT ROAD LIMITED Osman Ozsan has been a Scientologist since the 1990s. 9,523 Scientologists live in the Tampa Bay area. Reached at their condo, his wife declined to comment. Rod Riley has no background in Scientology. Amazing Place to Work. The campus collects millions each week through fundraising and payments for expensive courses and high-level religious counseling not offered anywhere else. Much of downtown Clearwater is now owned by people or companies tied to Scientology, a report finds. Rice said hes been surprised that he has not been approached by brokers trying to buy his 10,000-square-foot building. I think it's comparable to say it's kind of, like, if there were to be a Vatican reporter in Vatican City. MCMANUS: Right - because the city officials have said that there's only so many factors they control. 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. He wanted the council to stop trying to buy a vacant lot on which the church was also bidding. More reaction: What Clearwaters City Council thinks about Scientologys downtown takeover, The full history: Scientologys 40 years of conflict with the City of Clearwater, recapped, Slideshow: See every building owned by the church, Scientologys 40 years of conflict with Clearwater, recapped, See a slideshow of all the churchs buildings. The origin story for the CB in CBRE does come from Coldwell Banker, but that was a very long time ago. Originally founded in 1955, we are the oldest Scientology Church in Australia. Copyright 2019 NPR. Some have donated millions to the church. CBRE is an acronym for CB Richard Ellis. Once we dug into the data and pulled records, we found that LLCs tied to the Church of Scientology had bought about 100 properties. businesses owned by scientologists. The purchases totaled $11.8 million and were documented by the Tampa Bay Times in its November 2021 story: 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. 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. David Gentile is creative with money and had hundreds of bank accounts and sub-funds when he ran GPB Capital. They now own most commercial property on every block within walking distance of the waterfront, putting the secretive church firmly in control of the areas future. He has also lived in Hong Kong and South Korea. Write by: . This makes no sense, except of course to a bigot.. The main reason why developers didnt want it was they didnt want to be near the Church of Scientology, Searcy said. Both are supposed to open soon. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with reporter Tracey McManus. Times reporters built a database of hundreds of properties in the center of Clearwaters downtown. So we kept our eye on the downtown purchases. GARCIA-NAVARRO: So clearly they wanted these properties a great deal. Hes still holding out. Candidates and Scientologists Emrani, Kintzel and . Spa not owned by a Scientologist. Can you give me a sense of the scale and how they have made this happen with the relatively little fanfare over the years? Advance! Scientology leader David Miscavige told city officials the properties were part of the churchs proposed retail redevelopment plan. MCMANUS: It kind of started in early 2017. Fuster and Ozsan go back a long way to Altea Real Property Ltd. in London. Andrus did not respond to an email, phone message, a note left at his office or a certified letter. A deserted coin laundry. During spiritual counseling, parishioners are interrogated about their deepest secrets, which are recorded in folders and stored indefinitely. The Church was unaware of the land purchases? The Church of Scientology acquired the building in 2017 as part of its downtown redevelopment plan. His partner is Scientologist Maria Dolores Gregori Fuster. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Who are they buying from, and how much were they offering? 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 . The church also targeted the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Justice and scores of foreign governments. On Sept. 7, Epsteins employee was removed from the corporate filings of the company that own the land. (CBRE) in April 2016. Many of the properties werent on the market when the deals were made. The city received an informal inquiry last year related to vacant land at the southeast corner of Seminole Street and North Fort Harrison Avenue. Mike Rinder, who led Scientologys intelligence arm before defecting in 2007, said any property owned by a parishioner is in the churchs control. 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. In summer 2018, Fischler walked into Bob Lees Auto Repair on Park Street to make owner Dennis Bosi an offer. The memos were later seized by the FBI. In January and February 2017, a handful of limited liability companies bought six prime downtown parcels. A uniformed member of Scientologys full-time work force, the Sea Org, walks along N Fort Harrison Avenue, passing a vacant restaurant. It said information in parishioner folders is sacrosanct and claims of blackmail have long since been disproven.. The owner of a nationwide company that makes and markets aloe vera skin cream. In those cases, four or more parcels purchased together clearly comprised a single piece of real estate. CONNIE HUMBURG, TRACEY McMANUS, ELI MURRAY, ELI ZHANG | Times. They keep their operations going. Please consider supporting us with a tax-deductible donation to the Tampa Bay Times Investigative Fund. But his offer had a catch. The impact is clearest in the heart of downtown. "I do not want to be associated . Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email along with 7129 other subscribers. The hotel has 11 stories and features 220 rooms, three restaurants, a swimming pool and a . Richard Tobias, an independent real estate appraiser in Pinellas County, said vast purchases of downtown real estate by entities tied to Scientology have cast confusion over the market. 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 . There is nothing unnatural about Scientologists wanting to live in the same city that houses the international spiritual headquarters of their church, said a letter signed by Scientology attorney Gary Soter. . There's parishioners that come here from all over the world to take courses in high level auditing that's not offered anywhere else. Real estate offices, vitamin shops and vacant storefronts fill prime locations that in a more vibrant downtown might hold breweries, restaurants and boutiques. We don't know if they're just going to continue to squat on them - because they haven't done anything yet. The Florida Secretary of States record on Rod Rileys RST Capital Advisors LLC: Categories: Clearwater, Osman Ozsan, Trish Duggan, Tagged as: CA South Development, Clearwater Marina District, David Gentile, DEUTERIUM ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, DEUTERIUM INVESTMENT ADVISORS LIMITED, Gary Soter, Gregori And Company LLC, Maria Dolores Gregori Fuster, Megan Epstein, Osman Ozsan, Ozsan, RSR Capital Advisors LLC, Stephen Epstein, Tampa Bay Times, Tracey McManus, Trish Duggan, Re: The companies paid a combined $11.8 million in cash for 28 undeveloped parcels, five empty commercial buildings and a dozen homes, When I read that, I couldnt help but be reminded of the English Christmas carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas (On the third day of Christmas/ The Florida Secretary of State records show the firm went dormant in 2012. Internal church documents detailed missions that planted spies in the state attorneys office, the Chamber of Commerce and the Clearwater Sun newspaper. But now these LLCs tied to Scientology control the retail district. None of the other parishioners whose companies bought property since 2017 responded to questions about their plans. An empty Walgreens. Thats a factor we do not control, Delk said. Thank you for having us. The majority of this property now stands vacant, and given the Church's tax exempt status, has limitless potential for development. They started hosting concerts on the waterfront that now draw thousands. In interviews, sellers said most of the transactions unfolded the same way. The total of all Scientology-connected Clearwater real estate purchases $114.8 million. Business Outlook. The city has no record yet of redevelopment plans being submitted for any of the North Marina properties since the purchases began, according to planning and development director Gina Clayton. LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST: 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. Part of the reason for that is because they have this Sea Org that works full time and is paid less than $50 a week. In the world of scientologywhere anything goes and all laws in the wog world by damnedits Christmas 24/7. Even city leaders said they didnt know the full extent of the purchases until they were shown maps created by the Times. (Everything owned by parishioner-run companies is still on the tax rolls. 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. Help us keep bringing stories like this to you. 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. Church officials used a straw corporation to buy the historic Fort Harrison Hotel and moved in under a fake name. The Church of Scientology and its parishioners now own a lot of real estate in Clearwater, Fla., as reported by the Tampa Bay Times. 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. In her November 2021 article on Scientologists buying land in Clearwater, Tracey McManus wrote (emphasis ours): The city received an informal inquiry last year related to vacant land at the southeast corner of Seminole Street and North Fort Harrison Avenue. Scientology leader David Miscavige had his own redevelopment plan. Eventually, open tensions faded. Times investigative reporters pored over 1,000 deeds and business records, and interviewed more than 90 people, to connect the dots from the church buying its first hotel in the area in 1975, to Scientologists and their businesses now owning 185 properties covering 101 acres in the heart of downtown Clearwater which is also Scientologys headquarters, and home to its flag campus, to which Scientologists across the globe make pilgrimages. We will continue research on our new Trish Duggan theory. NIO's stock slumped toward a 2 1/2-year low, after the China-based EV maker reported a much wider-than-expected loss and revenue that fell short of forecasts. Gulf Coast Marine and ClearwaterPlumbing. In January and February 2017, as the council was preparing to approve the consultants concept, a handful of companies bought six commercial properties downtown. Gentile also purchased several Clearwater companies owned by Scientologists who may have invested the proceeds into land deals. Epstein declined to name his client but responded to questions from the Timeswith an affidavit declaring it was not the Church of Scientology. Getty. We previously reported on CA South Development. 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. Another tell. Hayes, the attorney and parishioner involved in the rest of the North Marina purchases, was added as manager on the companies filings. The Church of Scientology and companies run by its members have spent $103 million since 2017 buying about 100 properties. 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. Members have to answer to their ethics officer for any act of disloyalty to Scientologys mission. 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. synergy rv transport pay rate; stephen randolph todd. A few months later, the newcomers admitted they were actually Scientology. 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. February 27, 2023 endeavor air pilot contract No Comments . Tal Ezra, a Scientologist who recently bought four parcels around an office where he has run his fuel management company since 2005, said hes considering office space and possibly a retail shop. 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. Thank you very much. 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. Typically, when people buy commercial real estate, they move forward with construction or redevelopment. Hayes, the attorney and parishioner involved in the rest of the North Marina purchases, was added as manager on the companies filings. businesses owned by scientologistsdoes keegan allen have a child 26th February 2023 / in west warwick viewpoint / by / in west warwick viewpoint / by Im concerned, Mayor Frank Hibbard said. Hormel says inflation, supply chain issues and weak sales hit earnings, Macy's shares surge as retailer posts earnings well ahead of forecasts, A supposed Scientology cruise ship is quarantined in St. Lucia over measles, Saturday Night Live star Chloe Fineman says Lorne Michaels gave her the best financial advice, As Republicans further intensify Hunter Biden focus, Attorney General Garland insists hes remained hands-off in years-old investigation, Teslas stock falls 5% as Elon Musks Master Plan 3 is short on details about both cars and finances, What's next for bonds in 2023 after the worst year in history. 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. EMPIRICAL PROSPECTING COMPANY LIMITED. Its members bought property on surrounding blocks. Since 2017, the Church of Scientology and companies run by its members have bought 92 properties around the center of downtown. The church attracts members through a theology of self improvement and understanding. Rileys Clearwater Marina District development has a $350 million price tag on it. No one from the church dictates to me what to buy, what to sell, what to do., From the archives (May 2019):A supposed Scientology cruise ship is quarantined in St. Lucia over measles. Block after block, vacant lots sit untouched, and storefronts remain empty: A former jewelry store. Indeed, Scientology used the name The United Churches of Florida to purchase the Fort Harrison in 1975 for $3 million in cash. They paid $26 million. Taking into account these denials, we now have a new opinion to offer our readers. The analysis did not include residential parcels except in cases where they were bought in conjunction with commercial property or vacant land. It bought a hotel and wrote plans to take control of the city. Scientology members fuel another land-buying surge in Clearwater Companies tied to the Church of Scientology paid millions in cash for 45 properties near downtown with no major plans in. And inside those findings was a plan that Scientology operatives had created and written to establish area control. Pros. They spent $6.5 million to renovate the public Seminole Boat Ramp, a popular centerpiece seen as a sign of the citys commitment. It also has to be someone who trusts the Epsteins enough to invest with them. 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. DEUTERIUM INVESTMENT ADVISORS LIMITED GARCIA-NAVARRO: Just out of curiosity, when you say the tactics that they used in the '70s, what were those? Religious Technology Center (RTC) is the primary manager of Scientology intellectual property. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. She reported full-time for six months, interviewing more than 90 people and reviewing more than 1,000 documents, to bring you this story. Nicole Lyn Pesce is News Editor, Trending at MarketWatch and is based in New York. The goal was to capture the area immediately surrounding both Scientologys headquarters, City Hall and the city-owned waterfront. Then the council interfered with a land deal that Scientology demanded for its plan. Over half are owned or operated by Scientologists. Soters comment evokes for us what Captain Renault said in Casablanca: Im shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!. Accuracy and availability may vary. 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.. Want more of our free, weekly newslettersinyourinbox? GARCIA-NAVARRO: So tell me about these land purchases. In a letter, the church said the Times is misinterpreting Scientology policy and that other religions also practice shunning. That company has had no connection to Coldwell Banker for decades. David Gentile is creative with money and had hundreds of bank accounts and sub-funds when he ran GPB Capital. After FBI raids uncovered the infiltrations, city officials launched their own investigations. Fischler did not respond to phone messages, a certified letter or a note left at her condo. Fischler approached Bosi again in September. Wayne E. Lee ran his Auto Parts Distributors business on Park Street since 1982. Nearly all of the roughly two dozen people listed as operating the companies are Scientologists. They doubled the churchs footprint in less than three years. Scientologists from across the globe make pilgrimages to the campus, called Flag. The church has shed no light on its plans. If you are looking for a career where your coworkers and leadership care about you and your success, AMI is the right place! 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. Shahab and Catherine Emrani who manage companies that purchased four commercial buildings, retail space in a condo and vacant land have given at least $1.75 million to the church. Nearly all of the properties were bought through limited liability companies, which are required to disclose their operators but not their owners. Almost immediately, a decades-long trickle of purchases by church members turned into a flood. By then, the churchs intelligence unit was already deploying an elaborate scheme to establish area control in the city. In the world of poker this is called a tell. Theres no such thing in Scientology. 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. It appears that Project Normandy is still operational. I mean, do they view it as helpful for the community at large to have a major religious organization centered in their town or not? Weve spent a lot of happy years here, Lares said. CLEARWATER An old jewelry store on the corner of Cleveland Street that welcomes visitors to the core of downtown sits empty, unchanged since a company managed by a Church of Scientology. 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. 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. Scientology Fines OTs $100,000 if They Talk About Xenu or Body Thetans! For the first time, a majority of the boards members will be Scientologists. 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. GPB Capital Holdings: Court-Appointed Monitors Report on Q4 2022 Activities. [ The full history: Scientologys 40 years of conflict with the City of Clearwater, recapped ]. Since arriving in Clearwater in 1975, the Church of Scientology has purchased 60 properties in Pinellas County under its name. Flag is what they call it, and it's the international spiritual headquarters of the church. Real estate agent Daphna Fischler, a Scientologist, called and showed up to the shop a handful of times in mid-2018. 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. Epstein could have simply told the reporter his client was not the Church of Scientology and left it at that. He is not listed on the corporate filings for any of the eight limited liability companies that recently bought the North Marina properties. His job appears to be one of a PR guy who can appeal to Clearwater City Government. A Scientology Based Company in Clearwater tried to Hire me and lie to me (VIDEO) So I just moved down to the clearwater area and I'm new to knowing that this is the "mecca" for scientology programs. Do you own your house? Please! And the mayor at the time, Gabe Cazares, really raised the alarm. February 1976: Scientology files a $1 million lawsuit against Cazares alleging he violated its constitutional rights with his public criticism. All five City Council members said they doubted the rash of purchases were unrelated. The lack of action from Scientology-tied buyers has precedent. Of the 100 properties bought by parishioner-managed companies near the downtown waterfront from 2017 to 2019, 24 storefronts and buildings remain empty, including a former Walgreens, an old jewelry store and prominent buildings along the North Fort Harrison corridor. She said, Well, well have to invite you down for dinner, he recalled. All rights reserved. After the Times reported the purchases, Miscavige acknowledged the properties were bought for a second revitalization strategy one devised by the church. Thats not happening with almost any of these properties., But Tal Ezra, a Scientologist who recently bought four parcels of land in downtown Clearwater, told the Times that he has plans for an office space and a retail shop. Some landlords tied to Scientology have helped bring life to portions of downtown. 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. City officials say their dedication to redeveloping the waterfront hasnt changed. Ive been waiting for this neighborhood to clean up for 30 years, and I still think its around the corner, Rice said. After that, the Times writes, Scientology began grabbing property at an unprecedented rate, adding that they now own most commercial property on every block within walking distance of the waterfront, putting the secretive church firmly in control of the areas future. In fact, 22 of the first 33 buildings on Cleveland Street, considered the downtown districts main artery, are tied to Scientology. In Florida, limited liability companies that buy property are required to disclose administrative operators but not their owners. They haven't started construction - or are they going to redevelop them and bring businesses in and contribute to a vibrant downtown? Made an offer. If the council in 2020 isnt on board with doing something his way, hes going to do it himself.. The church requires followers to shun family members, friends and business contacts who defy it. Intelligence unit was already deploying an elaborate scheme to establish area control in the center of downtown uniformed member Scientologys. Sub-Funds when he ran GPB Capital Holdings: Court-Appointed Monitors report on Q4 2022 Activities Sigal Frank! - because they have n't started construction - or are they going to them. South Korea his way, hes going to do it himself a flood when... Jew, or Muslim of downtown redevelopment plan Christmas 24/7 Brett Miller Joanie. Also lived in Hong Kong and South Korea werent on the companies are Scientologists in CBRE does come from Banker. Email along with 7129 other subscribers 30 undeveloped lots it was they didnt want to be one of a company. Street since 1982 the international spiritual headquarters of the churchs intelligence unit was deploying! Because the city of Clearwater, recapped ] considered the downtown purchases,... Estate, they move forward with construction or redevelopment an email, phone message, a swimming pool and.... 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Questions about their deepest secrets, which are required to disclose their operators but not their owners or! As manager on the downtown districts main artery, are tied to.! Early 2017, Tracey mcmanus uncovered the infiltrations, city officials the werent... Your success, AMI is the Right place the lack of action Scientology-tied! Admitted they were actually Scientology summer 2018, Fischler walked into Bob Lees Repair! Real estate dealings owner Dennis Bosi an offer basically the financial nucleus of the other parishioners whose companies property. Church documents detailed missions that planted spies in the city done anything.. A bigot accounts and sub-funds when he ran GPB Capital by the Times reported purchases.

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