That's the findings of a story in the Tampa Bay Times that's headlined clear takeover. A few weeks later, John Yarbrough sold the building where he had run his electrical services business for 22 years. Its members bought property on surrounding blocks. Jim Warren has lived in Clearwater since 1995 with his wife, Cindy, and their two children, Drew and Art. Mike Rinder, who led the churchs intelligence arm before defecting in 2007, said that when it comes to property around Flag, theres no real distinction between whether its owned by the church or a parishioner. And Clearwater is home to one of the Church's most important bases, a campus called Flag, which established Scientologists from across the globe make pilgrimages to. It was owned by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. However, it hasnt always been clear to me as to just what does that actually mean.. Scientologys international spiritual headquarters is anchored by the Flag Building, on left. GARCIA-NAVARRO: So tell me about these land purchases. Scientology spokesman Ben Shaw said in a statement that the church is not involved with the acquisitions. Since it was founded in 1955, Scientology has purchased hundreds, possibly thousands of buildings. Seventy-one percent of the 60 parcels the Church of Scientology owns under its name in Pinellas County are tax-exempt for religious purposes. Paid in cash. Visit hotel website. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Just out of curiosity, when you say the tactics that they used in the '70s, what were those? Charles 'will NEVER build real relationship with Archie and Lili unless Harry and Meghan get new royal 'Putin has STOLEN our Ukrainian children': Distraught parents tell how THOUSANDS of youngsters never EMILY PRESCOTT: Sarah Ferguson 'confused' after seeing photos from goddaughter's wedding she thought she was Joe Biden is 'unlikely' to attend King Charles' coronation due to Ireland trip - despite promising to A 14-year-old autistic boy's naive prank. 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. But in the 70s, Andrus was named an unindicted co-conspirator in Scientologys government espionage scheme, which sent 11 Scientologists to federal prison. Defectors have said they were paid less than $50 a week. 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. After the City Council voted to buy the lot in April 2017, Miscavige refused to talk to city officials for the next two and a half years. 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. Clearwater is a beautiful town and the downtown area is now a ghost town. Accuracy and availability may vary. 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 churchs international spiritual headquarters, then left many of those buildings vacant and lots undeveloped. 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 Lares declined again when Fischler met him at a restaurant in Pinellas Park for lunch, and once more when she tried in May. The campus collects millions each week through fundraising and payments for expensive courses and high-level religious counseling not offered anywhere else. Visitors are expected to stay in Scientologys hotels and eat at private church restaurants. But its potential is still untapped, with prime vacant land overlooking Clearwater Harbor. Made an offer. 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. Most religions have a fundamentalist wing, Rinder said. The churchs campus grew slowly over decades. June 22, 2022; Posted by . Scientology has been accused of using the information as blackmail. and last updated 7:53 PM, Oct 21, 2019. Gulf Coast Marine and ClearwaterPlumbing. The land grab started as tensions grew between the church and the Clearwater City Council. You are a fundamentalist Scientologist, or youre not one at all.. Over the past two years, the properties surrounding the shop have been sold to Scientologist-controlled companies. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. 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. Reached at their condo, his wife declined to comment. Then the council interfered with a land deal that Scientology demanded for its plan. Lares and his wife, Emily, sold the diner inside a decade ago. Concerned he wouldnt be able to pay his mortgage, Argall said he deeded the building, appraised at $780,000, back to the previous owner. 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. What Clearwaters City Council thinks, Scientologys 40 years of conflict with Clearwater, recapped, See a slideshow of all the churchs buildings. Leading up to the waterfront, 22 of the first 33 buildings now have ties to Scientology. In addition to a park and amphitheater, Imagine Clearwater also calls for several new projects on the waterfront with residences and retail. 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. Llmenos para una consulta. The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination. Scientology boasts 10million followers, but surveys and accounts from former members suggest there are no more than 30,000 worldwide. The most notable one is that of Lisa McPherson. The plan. Im concerned, Mayor Frank Hibbard said. russia and china vs nato war who would win. The stick out moment, is Tom Cruise auditing Marc, and failing., The live Q & A had great questions and answers. They started hosting concerts on the waterfront that now draw thousands. Show more. Flag is run by thechurchs notorious full-time workforce, the Sea Org, whose members sign billion-year contracts. In those cases, four or more parcels purchased together clearly comprised a single piece of real estate. The Times also contacted representatives of all 32 companies it identified that bought downtown real estate over the past three years. I dont know what their plan is.. They come from all walks of life, professions and ethnic groups. And the properties cover about 100 acres. Scientology in Clearwater Big Brother is Watching You. TRACEY MCMANUS: Hi, Lulu. But on days with no events, downtown feels deserted. 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. 1991: An investment firm owned by Joel Feshbach, an acknowledged Scientologist, purchased Cocolat, a West Coast candy company that was having some financial . Longtime City Manager Bill Horne said he cant tell whether the church wants the same thing. Real estate agent David Kerr represented a buyer that paid more than three times what a property was valued by the county property appraiser. 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 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. 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. Oddly enough, half of those properties werent on sale and half of the sales went for more than double the propertys actual value. Its too soon to say how the shift in ownership will affect downtown. A lot of them are vacant lots, vacant buildings, empty storefronts. City officials say their dedication to redeveloping the waterfront hasnt changed. We've got 2511 hotels to choose from within 5 miles of Church of Scientology. 'However, it hasnt always been clear to me as to just what does that actually mean.'. Fischler, a local real estate agent, negotiated at least 10 of the downtown deals, according to interviews with sellers. Hillsborough forms had errors, Church of Scientologys presence in Pinellas County, 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, Typhoon cancels Clearwaters sister city visit to Nagano. In interviews, sellers said most of the transactions unfolded the same way. 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? The Church's celebrity members Tom Cruise and John Travolta are known to have estates in Clearwater not far from the Scientology headquarters. You might want to consider one of these options that are popular with our guests: Clearwater Beach Hotel - 1.8 mi (2.9 km) away 4-star hotel Free WiFi 3 restaurants Spa Central location Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach - 1.9 mi (3 km) away 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. This one is owned by a parishioner who had been featured on the churchs Meet a Scientologist video series. Then walk down Cleveland Street downtowns main artery. ( magazine) Applied Philosophy. 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. Clearwater is the center of that revenue stream. Review. Since 2017, the Church of Scientology and companies run by its members have bought 92 properties around the center of downtown. Businesses might see this city project and say, yeah, let me take a chance on downtown and open up a business. Four high-ranking defectors describe bizarre behavior and physical beatings inflicted by Scientology leader David Miscavige. CLEARWATER, Fla. In this small beachside community sits a 1.4-acre patch of dirt that has become a flash point in a fight between church and state. Before: This map shows the extent of Scientology owned property in downtown Clearwater Florida in 2016, After: By 2019 the Church had greatly expanded, doubling its footprint and covering 101 acres of land, The Scientology Flag Building in Clearwater, Florida pictured above in 2013. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Andrus was named an unindicted co-conspirator in Scientologys government espionage scheme, which sent 11 Scientologists to federal prison. I agree, the blog has a limited purpose, Super excellent, really great chemistry, so enjoyable to watch. #1 of 10 resorts in Clearwater. Dalai Lama. 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. Share. He walked away with nothing. The church stopped communicating with the city. It does not include properties recently bought by companies run by church members.