The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. And $99 million of the $103 million in real-estate deals over the past three years were in cash. Because the city rebuffed Miscaviges offer, Bunker, who has advocated against alleged abuses in Scientology for 20 years, said he sees the parishioner-involved real estate purchases that followed as a vindictive and desperate play to interfere with Clearwaters revitalization efforts. It appears that Project Normandy is still operational. The Florida Secretary of State records show the firm went dormant in 2012. Scientology leader David Miscavige told city officials the properties were part of the churchs proposed retail redevelopment plan. And it's also basically the financial nucleus of the entire organization. Yarbrough never learned the buyers identity. 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. (Everything owned by parishioner-run companies is still on the tax rolls. 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. All they did was act like children and make crude sex/homophobic/racial jokes about being raped, gangbanged, etc. ARKWRIGHT ROAD LIMITED We don't know what they're planning to do with the properties. Another tell. Rodney Riley is the CEO of RSR Capital Advisors in Clearwater, Florida. He shows up in Clearwater from Arizona a few months ago. And it's all surrounding the city's downtown waterfront. 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Riley had no reason to mention that he had worked with Mormons and will now work to communicate with the Scientologists in Clearwater. This reads like deliberately premanufactured PR to us. These workers sign billion year contracts, are paid very little, work around the clock. Times Staff WritersOct. Candidates and Scientologists Emrani, Kintzel and . Right now, at least 30 businesses owned by non-parishioners are renting from Scientologists. 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. Holding and president of Graymoss, Inc. [27] The architectural firm HOK was hired to deliver the project. While theres no law against hanging onto property, developers typically buy land, build on it and sell it for profit. I think it throws a stake in it when one party owns 50 percent or so. 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. In those cases, four or more parcels purchased together clearly comprised a single piece of real estate. 2. 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. 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. His job appears to be one of a PR guy who can appeal to Clearwater City Government. Terri Novitsky and Hayes did not return calls and emails requesting comment. What Clearwaters City Council thinks, Scientologys 40 years of conflict with Clearwater, recapped, See a slideshow of all the churchs buildings. Im concerned, Mayor Frank Hibbard said. Scientologists Brett Miller and Joanie and Steve Sigal recommended Frank Hibbard for Mayor. He had committed to downtown in 1997. They spent $6.5 million to renovate the public Seminole Boat Ramp, a popular centerpiece seen as a sign of the citys commitment. Real estate agent Daphna Fischler, a Scientologist, called and showed up to the shop a handful of times in mid-2018. But the couple isnt ready to let go. Be informed that their owners are local Scientologists who support the abuses of Scientology leader David Miscavige. The church promised to spend $55 million. The Times counted each parcel that was assigned a value by the property appraiser as a single property with five exceptions. But its potential is still untapped, with prime vacant land overlooking Clearwater Harbor. The Church was unaware of the land purchases? 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. He saw the area improve when police cracked down on drugs and prostitution decades ago. Thirteen were existing tenants when he bought the properties. Melitta coffee filters are manufactured in Clearwater, Florida. Most religions have a fundamentalist wing, Rinder said. Riley is also working with Gensler on the development. They haven't started construction - or are they going to redevelop them and bring businesses in and contribute to a vibrant downtown? In an interview with Scientology-owned "Freedom Magazine" Gendusa said that she moved to Clearwater to study Scientology more than 25 years ago. MCMANUS: It kind of started in early 2017. About 72 percent of those properties are tax exempt for religious uses. A sign in front of the business says, "Notice: This is one of the only spas in downtown Clearwater not owned by a Scientologist .". Delk described the projects which require voter approval as key to the plans success. On Sept. 7, Epsteins employee was removed from the corporate filings of the company that own the land. Asked directly whether Scientology orchestrated or paid for any of the sales, the church did not answer. And half the sales were for more than double what the properties were valued by the county property appraiser, the Times found. For example, David Miscaviges personal lawyer of 35 years Monique Yingling has never been a Scientologist. Religious Technology Center (RTC) is the primary manager of Scientology intellectual property. But that is where it ends. ( magazine) Applied Philosophy ARC Straightwire (ARC stands for affinity-reality-communication) ARC Fil Direct Audited NOTs (NOT stands for NED [New Era Dianetics] Operating Thetan) The Auditor 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. 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. Even city leaders said they didnt know the full extent of the purchases until they were shown maps created by the Times. It does not include properties recently bought by companies run by church members. Among them was to make Clearwater known as the first Scientology city in the world.. Many of the properties werent on the market. This month, Shahab Emrani was elected to the Downtown Development Board, which helps promote downtown. 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. Help us keep bringing stories like this to you. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The churchs hostility toward the public became clear from its first days in the city in fall 1975. She estimated that around a quarter of the . She reported full-time for six months, interviewing more than 90 people and reviewing more than 1,000 documents, to bring you this story. Eventually, open tensions faded. The main reason why developers didnt want it was they didnt want to be near the Church of Scientology, Searcy said. In the article cited, Riley makes an interesting comment (emphasis ours): The opportunity Riley is pursuing to activate the 21 acres is similar to his project in Mesa, Arizona, where he acquired and developed nine properties. Can you give me a sense of the scale and how they have made this happen with the relatively little fanfare over the years? Defectors have said they were paid less than $50 a week. Instead, the aquarium sold it to the city in April 2017 for a lot less $4.25 million. The Times report describes spaces such as a former jewelry store, an empty Walgreens and a deserted laundromat sitting empty and unused. ), [ Slideshow: See every building owned by the church ], In the 90s, a Scientology magazine listed the churchs goals for 2000. It has to be somebody with the money to invest in a real estate development deal. The church, its members and companies they control now own 185 properties that cover 101 acres in the center of downtown. 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. David Gentile is creative with money and had hundreds of bank accounts and sub-funds when he ran GPB Capital. Companies controlled by Hayes have bought about half the property on Rices block and nearly the entire block directly south. The Church of Scientology has done many things at a remove or by a ruse, feint, or stratagem. They keep their operations going. His partner is Scientologist Maria Dolores Gregori Fuster. Please! Then he would try again, with new council members. We also hold the distinction of being the first Scientology Church in the Southern Hemisphere. The Church of Scientology acquired the building in 2017 as part of its downtown redevelopment plan. 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. 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 spa's website makes it clear that, "In fact, we are, by definition, a Christian based business.". The majority of this property now stands vacant, and given the Church's tax exempt status, has limitless potential for development. The Church of Scientology and companies run by its members spent $103 million over the past three years buying up vast sections of downtown Clearwater. Mike Rinder, who led Scientologys intelligence arm before defecting in 2007, said any property owned by a parishioner is in the churchs control. Nearly all of the properties were bought through limited liability companies, which are required to disclose their operators but not their owners. He is not listed on the corporate filings for any of the eight limited liability companies that recently bought the North Marina properties. When the council voted to buy the property, the chamber erupted in applause. Jim Huestler is the blocks only holdout with a rental home on the northeast corner. Fischler, a local real estate agent, negotiated at least 10 of the downtown deals, according to interviews with sellers. Its designed not for recruiting new members but for hosting established followers. He is linked to the Church of Scientology via the Epsteins and Trish Duggan. Bosi wasnt interested. 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. Instead, Epstein took the formal step of using an affidavit to deny that the Church of Scientology is not the client. David Gentile is creative with money and had hundreds of bank accounts and sub-funds when he ran GPB Capital. Companies tied to the Church of Scientology paid millions in cash for 45 properties near downtown with no major plans in sight. Leading up to the waterfront, 22 of the first 33 buildings now have ties to Scientology. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with reporter Tracey McManus. The Church was unaware of the significant number of properties owned by Scientologists in the Clearwater area and are delighted you provided the information.. Lares and his wife, Emily, sold the diner inside a decade ago. Real estate offices, vitamin shops and vacant storefronts fill prime locations that in a more vibrant downtown might hold breweries, restaurants and boutiques. President of Graymoss, Inc. [ 27 ] the architectural firm HOK was hired deliver! 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