I mean, how big is the Church of Scientology where you are? Indeed, Scientology used the name The United Churches of Florida to purchase the Fort Harrison in 1975 for $3 million in cash. Osman Ozsan has been a Scientologist since the 1990s. His job appears to be one of a PR guy who can appeal to Clearwater City Government. ), [ Slideshow: See every building owned by the church ], In the 90s, a Scientology magazine listed the churchs goals for 2000. Everyone in KnowBe4 knows I'm a (proud) Scientologist. And it's all surrounding the city's downtown waterfront. While theres no law against hanging onto property, developers typically buy land, build on it and sell it for profit. A deserted coin laundry. . Columnist Stephanie Hayes will share thoughts, feelings and funny business with you every Monday. 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. These workers sign billion year contracts, are paid very little, work around the clock. The new owners also are sitting on about 30 undeveloped lots. Graphics by ELI MURRAY Write by: . The memos were later seized by the FBI. MCMANUS: It kind of started in early 2017. 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. GARCIA-NAVARRO: It's the type of servitude. The church requires followers to shun family members, friends and business contacts who defy it. Even city leaders said they didnt know the full extent of the purchases until they were shown maps created by the Times. They also pointed to the latest edition of their Freedom magazine for what they called an accurate portrayal of the church and its members in Clearwater. Theres no such thing in Scientology. 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. But Lee assumed the church was involved. All rights reserved. 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. Thank you very much. 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. Tampa Bay Times reporter Tracey McManus has spent the last four years writing about Scientology and the churchs relationship with the city of Clearwater. 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. GARCIA-NAVARRO: What do you mean billion year contracts? After the Times reported the purchases, Miscavige met with city officials and acknowledged the church acquired them as part of his plan to spend $55 million renovating downtown buildings and recruiting high-end retail to empty store fronts. A for-lease sign sits in long-vacant retail space at The SkyView condo tower, owned by Scientologist and developer Moises Agami. Please! MCMANUS: Scientology arrived in downtown Clearwater in 1975. Since July 2019, eight limited liability companies managed or operatedby members of the church have bought 45 properties in North Marina, including Chesneys. 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. #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. Council members were less delighted by the discovery, however especially since many of the lots and storefronts purchased by owners with Scientology ties are sitting vacant while the Clearwater City Council aims to turn the downtown waterfront into a dining and entertainment destination. My true love gave to me/Three French hens/Two turtle doves/And a partridge in a pear tree). 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. A few months after Yarbrough relocated, a new electrical company moved into his old building. Here is a map showing the parcels in purple which Riley is acquiring: We have previously offered our opinion that the $102 million in Downtown Clearwater land purchases made by Scientologists came from GPB Capital Holdings. 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. Wayne E. Lee ran his Auto Parts Distributors business on Park Street since 1982. The Tampa Bay Times discovered them by reviewing more than 1,000 deeds and business records, then interviewed more than 90 people to reconstruct the circumstances surrounding the transactions. Scientology came to downtown Clearwater in 1975. The Church is the largest property taxpayer in downtown Clearwater, paying nearly $1 million in property taxes last year. Companies controlled by Hayes have bought about half the property on Rices block and nearly the entire block directly south. The church also targeted the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Justice and scores of foreign governments. Reporters analyzed thousands of rows of data and pulled more than 1,000 records from the Pinellas County Property Appraiser, the Pinellas County Clerk of Court and the Florida Division of Corporations. Defectors have said they were paid less than $50 a week. Brokers who are Scientologists approached at least 15 downtown owners about unlisted properties. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Just out of curiosity, when you say the tactics that they used in the '70s, what were those? Asked directly whether Scientology orchestrated or paid for any of the sales, the church did not answer. Originally founded in 1955, we are the oldest Scientology Church in Australia. Clearwater is the center of that revenue stream. Welcome. Andrus helped carry out a plan to stop a Scientologist who had spied on the federal government from turning himself in to the FBI. The city received an informal inquiry last year related to vacant land at the southeast corner of Seminole Street and North Fort Harrison Avenue. Flag is supposed to be an insulated oasis. They spent $6.5 million to renovate the public Seminole Boat Ramp, a popular centerpiece seen as a sign of the citys commitment. This is a story for another time. All together, 32 companies bought 92 downtown properties since 2017. Even as Scientologys footprint expanded, and nearby Clearwater Beach became one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States, downtown businesses struggled to stay open. 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. Florida migrant flights lawsuit dismissed in wake of Legislature passing law, Editorial Cartoons for Thursday from Times Wire Services, Bucs new coordinator is confident! Getty. Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard had written about doing away with governments and replacing them with a Scientology-run society. Why does this matter? 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. Clearwater is the permanent home to more than 10,000 Scientology parishioners. Dozens of residents showed up to speak. About 72 percent of those properties are tax exempt for religious uses. 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. The Times used the date that transactions were recorded in Clerk of Courts official record as the date of sale. (On Sunday, the Tampa Bay Times reported that since 2017, companies run by members of Scientology bought another 86 downtown commercial properties. DEUTERIUM INVESTMENT ADVISORS LIMITED Aaron Smith-Levin, who left the world of Scientology after 29 years, is running to serve on the council in Clearwaterwhich has been home to the church's international spiritual headquarters. The Church of Scientology and its parishioners now own a lot of real estate in Clearwater, Fla., as reported by the Tampa Bay Times. Gulf Coast Marine and ClearwaterPlumbing. Argall left the church and was forced to abandon his business of more than 20 years. In North America, Melitta is the leading brand of coffee filters. Some of the parishioners have a history of working on Scientologys behalf. We believe it's important to shed light on a powerful institution that's very controversial and plays a big role in our community. Norm Novitsky hung up when asked by a reporter about the companies plans. 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. 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. Aaron Smith-Levin, a former Sea Org member, said a church ethics officer in 1993 pressured Smith-Levins father-in-law to sell Scientology a downtown property it wanted for expansion. Agami also signed two more leases on the same block with restaurants owned by people not connected to the church. A sign in front of the business says, "Notice: This is one of the only spas in downtown Clearwater not owned by a Scientologist .". David Gentile is creative with money and had hundreds of bank accounts and sub-funds when he ran GPB Capital. Seventy-one percent of the 60 parcels the Church of Scientology owns under its name in Pinellas County are tax-exempt for religious purposes. Scientology has been accused of using the information as blackmail. Yarbrough never learned the buyers identity. Businesses might see this city project and say, yeah, let me take a chance on downtown and open up a business. He is not listed on the corporate filings for any of the eight limited liability companies that recently bought the North Marina properties. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Explain to me why the paper has a Scientology reporter. He saw the area improve when police cracked down on drugs and prostitution decades ago. 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. If you are looking for a career where your coworkers and leadership care about you and your success, AMI is the right place! None of the other parishioners whose companies bought property since 2017 responded to questions about their plans. If the council in 2020 isnt on board with doing something his way, hes going to do it himself.. 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. GARCIA-NAVARRO: That's Tracey McManus, who reports on Scientology for the Tampa Bay Times, talking about the church's increased real estate footprint in Clearwater, Fla. No one from the church dictates to me what to buy, what to sell, what to do.. The church offered $15 million for the parcel. Epstein could have simply told the reporter his client was not the Church of Scientology and left it at that. Additional Clearwater real estate purchases began in 2019. 9,523 Scientologists live in the Tampa Bay area. City officials are trying to make the area a regional destination for food, drink and entertainment. New details about the case of Lisa McPherson, who died in the care of Scientologists, from the executive who directed the Church of Scientologys handling of the case. 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. Advance! I just was curious if this is possibly a decent job or if EVERY scientologist owned company is a recruiting scam. Scientologists Brett Miller and Joanie and Steve Sigal recommended Frank Hibbard for Mayor. I had to make a decision, Bosi said. He took over Bob Lees Auto to continue the business legacy and served on the Downtown Development Board for a decade. ANTIFRAGILE LIMITED This one is owned by a parishioner who had been featured on the churchs Meet a Scientologist video series. The church has amassed 60 properties in Pinellas County since arriving in 1975. The US average revenue of a car dealership is $38.3 million. Story by TRACEY McMANUS They paid $26 million. GARCIA-NAVARRO: And I guess the larger concern is that this could really thwart the city's plans for redevelopment if the Scientologist organizations are going to have all this property that they're going to keep for their own purposes. Osman Ozsan is, in our opinion, one of the more notable Scientologists youve never heard of. Church officials used a straw corporation to buy the historic Fort Harrison Hotel and moved in under a fake name. Brian Andrus controls companies that last year bought a marina on N Osceola Avenue and six nearby properties, all bordering a redevelopment project at the citys public boat ramp. But far more non-Scientologists are moving out. According to his resume, he started the firm in 2003. Made an offer. Since July 2019, eight limited liability companies managed or operated by members of the church have bought 45 properties in North Marina, including Chesneys. Melitta electrics and accessories are manufactured, marketed and distributed under a licensing agreement. Visit a quote page and your recently viewed tickers will be displayed here. synergy rv transport pay rate; stephen randolph todd. 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. Most religions have a fundamentalist wing, Rinder said. And our analysis found that these church officials were offering two, three, four times what the property appraiser said the properties were valued. The church acquired three others in a land swap. Its members bought property on surrounding blocks. Riley thereafter became a Regional Manager forCB Richard Ellis. If our work stats did not improve day to day . Ozsan has had a residence in London since 2001. Tyler Rice has run Carillon Flooring Center on North Fort Harrison for 30 years, the business his father started there in 1964. Do you own your house? Construction on eight townhomes on the south end of the marina began Oct. 1, according to county records. Over the next four decades, the church gradually amassed 58 properties in Clearwater under its name, 49 of them downtown. Its too soon to say how the shift in ownership will affect downtown. Florida executes Donald Dillbeck for 1990 Tallahassee murder, Held without charge, a Miami inmates unborn child asks court for release in odd case, One step led Tampa runner, Gasparilla entrant to big weight loss, huge life gains, Hillsborough must right-size its school system | Editorial, companies tied to Scientology bought 100 properties, Winter the dolphin died of twisted intestines, necropsy report confirms. This month, Shahab Emrani was elected to the Downtown Development Board, which helps promote downtown. Nearly all of the roughly two dozen people listed as operating the companies are Scientologists. 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. Ive been waiting for this neighborhood to clean up for 30 years, and I still think its around the corner, Rice said. Hes starting to assemble properties, Allbritton said. But in the 70s, Andrus was named an unindicted co-conspirator in Scientologys government espionage scheme, which sent 11 Scientologists to federal prison. More interesting is that the 15 parcels of land Riley plans acquire in Clearwater are owned by Scientologists. Thats not happening with almost any of these properties., [ More reaction: What Clearwaters City Council thinks about Scientologys downtown takeover ]. MCMANUS: Yeah, that's a good question. Whats more, the Times found a Scientology magazine from the 1990s that listed goals for the new millennium. businesses owned by scientologists. The Scientology leader had offered the Clearwater Marine Aquarium $15 million for that 1.4-acre grass lot on Pierce Street. CBRE is an acronym for CB Richard Ellis. Miscaviges offer to revitalize downtown hinged on the city ending its attempt to buy one vacant lot on which the church was also bidding. 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. Businesses without ties to the church are moving into a few of those. can t use carpenter's workbench skyrim; how long does it take a rat to starve to death; cowboy hat making supplies; why would i get a letter from circuit clerk GPB Capital Holdings: Court-Appointed Monitors Report on Q4 2022 Activities. 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. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with reporter Tracey McManus. In six cases, buyers paid quadruple the propertys value. Miscavige cut off communication with the city. We interpret it as the Tampa Bay Times getting too close for Mr. Epsteins comfort. You have some buyers here that their motivations are not really clear, he said, so its tough to make economic sense out of it.. February 27, 2023 endeavor air pilot contract No Comments . Since arriving in Clearwater in 1975, the Church of Scientology has purchased 60 properties in Pinellas County under its name. Good luck on that. Mike Rinder, who led Scientologys intelligence arm before defecting in 2007, said any property owned by a parishioner is in the churchs control. 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Who defy it to mention that he had worked with Mormons and will now work communicate!

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