hotels owned by scientologists in clearwaterhotels owned by scientologists in clearwater

Scientology boasts 10million followers, but surveys and accounts from former members suggest there are no more than 30,000 worldwide. Fischler, a local real estate agent, negotiated at least 10 of the downtown deals, according to interviews with sellers. However, it hasnt always been clear to me as to just what does that actually mean.. Although Zano is not well known in Clearwater, the companies spent $16.7 million acquiring 26 commercial properties downtown. The family of Moises Agami, a developer whose companies bought 20 storefronts and a parking lot last year, has donated at least $10 million. Then the council interfered with a land deal that Scientology demanded for its plan. About $15.9 million was paid in cash. Flag is supposed to be an insulated oasis. '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. The Church of Scientology has firmly made Clearwater, Floridaits home in the blink of an eye - shelling out $103million to sweep up 101 acres of the city's waterfront downtown area over the course of three years. TRACEY MCMANUS: Hi, Lulu. Interactive map reveals when you may see SNOW, Kate Garraway reveals Derek's heartbreaking words when they thought he had just minutes left to live. In the 70s, Andrus was named an unindicted co-conspirator in a Scientology plan to infiltrate the government. 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. The church has shed no light on its plans. And Scientology has an interest in keeping that insulated according to former executives that we've interviewed. The Times described sales as cash transactions when they were paid without a mortgage filed in public records. They haven't started construction - or are they going to redevelop them and bring businesses in and contribute to a vibrant downtown? Real estate offices, vitamin shops and vacant storefronts fill prime locations that in a more vibrant downtown might hold breweries, restaurants and boutiques. About 72 percent of those properties are tax exempt for religious uses. hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater. Gulf Coast Marine and ClearwaterPlumbing. Copyright 2019 NPR. But the promised downtown revival never came. Im concerned, Mayor Frank Hibbard said. 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. Its members bought property on surrounding blocks. 307 S Myrtle Ave Frnt, Clearwater, FL 33756-5524 +1 727-446-3354 Website Menu. Businesses might see this city project and say, yeah, let me take a chance on downtown and open up a business. Breakfast options. what does holetta mean in polish renault clio steering wheel controls not working hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater. Fuster and Ozsan go back a long way to Altea Real Property Ltd. in London. We don't know if they're just going to continue to squat on them - because they haven't done anything yet. (On Sunday, the Tampa Bay Times reported that since 2017, companies run by members of Scientology bought another 86 downtown commercial properties. Seven businesses have left following recent purchases, and at least three more are leaving this year, including Clearwater Plumbing and Gulf Coast Marine. The Tampa Bay Times reported that the church, including members and employees, now own 185 properties that encompass more than 101 acres in downtown Clearwater, located west of Tampa and sitting. For the first time, a majority of the boards members will be Scientologists. But his offer had a catch. 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 far more non-Scientologists are moving out. We reported at that time that a handful of limited liability companies bought about six downtown properties, and Scientology leader David Miscavige had presented a retail plan to two city staff officials. 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. Toni Says: What is Medicares creditable prescription drug coverage? Revealed: The top 10 fastest-growing destinations for UK pensioners retiring overseas. In interviews, sellers said most of the transactions unfolded the same way. Both have been there for decades. Didn't like the Grab N Go Idea for a continental Breakfast. And the tactics they were using to establish area control included infiltration, spying, smearing enemies. June 22, 2022; Posted by . Real estate agent Brian Andrus controls seven properties bought around the citys public boat ramp. 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. Four high-ranking defectors describe bizarre behavior and physical beatings inflicted by Scientology leader David Miscavige. The comments below have not been moderated. And he was going to recruit high-end retail to some of the empty storefronts because downtown Clearwater's pretty depressed. 'There is nothing unnatural about Scientologists wanting to live in the same city that houses the international spiritual headquarters of their church,' a letter signed by Scientology attorney Gary Soter to the Times said. The majority of this property now stands vacant, and given the Church's tax exempt status, has limitless potential for development. 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. It is now 6PM. 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. Hi, this is Stu, KnowBe4's CEO. 619 S Gulfview Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33767-2643. 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. When you stay with us at the Sleep Inn Clearwater-St Petersburg hotel, you can expect stylish accommodations for an affordable rate. In 2018, Peter Lares got a call from Fischler, asking if hed sell the prominent building in the center of downtown that houses Emilys Restaurant. ^ ??? Weve spent a lot of happy years here, Lares said. Disloyalty has life-changing consequences. The more its isolated and doesnt have people who are non-Scientologists around the area, the better.. walmart stabbing victim; google financial analyst salary london. Osman Ozsan is, in our opinion, one of the more notable Scientologists you've never heard of. ( magazine) Applied Philosophy. ', Freedom Magazine is a Scientology produced publication. The Church of Scientology offered $15 . Shephard's Beach Resort. BBC's 1million star Zoe Ball, 52, lands big new payday for Abba show on ITV. But even when the church isnt in control, its presence can deter development. It's GRAYGATE! Conspiracy theories are nothing new when it comes to the Church of Scientology. After the Times reported the purchases, Miscavige acknowledged the properties were bought for a second revitalization strategy one devised by the church. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving; it consists of professing to believe what he does not believe." Many of their properties weren't listed for sale. It is headed by David Miscavige [1] . Made an offer. or "selling postcards" or borrowing money. ARC Straightwire (ARC stands for affinity-reality-communication) ARC Fil Direct. The DeNunzio Group is affiliated with Maine Course Hospitality Group, which owns and operates 24 hotels in five states. They came in under a fake name to buy the Fort Harrison Hotel, a historic hotel right in the center of downtown. Hes starting to assemble properties, Allbritton said. An empty Walgreens. Nearly all of the properties were bought through limited liability companies, which are required to disclose their operators but not their owners. Most did not respond or declined to comment. He owns Stonebridge Real Estate and served as president of the Florida Gulfcoast Commercial Association of Realtors in 2017. In summer 2018, Fischler walked into Bob Lees Auto Repair on Park Street to make owner Dennis Bosi an offer. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Just out of curiosity, when you say the tactics that they used in the '70s, what were those? Project Normandy was described in one of hundreds of internal memos Scientology officials exchanged about their plans to infiltrate and control Clearwater. Just make more income with Scientology. She reported full-time for six months, interviewing more than 90 people and reviewing more than 1,000 documents, to bring you this story. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. (Which, actually, all Scientologists are under pressure to do. Tom Cruise, a devout follower of Scientology, has been effectively 'homeless' since he put his homes in California and New York on the marketearning GBP 41.5million ($55 million) in the process. The Times also contacted representatives of all 32 companies it identified that bought downtown real estate over the past three years. 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. Operatives framed the mayor in a staged hit-and-run and spread false rumors he was having an extramarital affair. The city wants to turn downtown into a regional destination for food, drink and entertainment. Lares declined again when Fischler met him at a restaurant in Pinellas Park for lunch, and once more when she tried in May. Today, 10 years later, the economic influence of Scientologists in the community is commensurately higher. The impact is clearest in the heart of downtown. His attorney, Louis Zaretsky, wrote in a letter to the Times that Zano is a businessman with vast real estate holdings in Israel, Germany, Poland, New York and Florida who makes investments based on his belief that they will appreciate or otherwise contribute to his long-term goals.. Delk described the projects which require voter approval as key to the plans success. And half the sales were for more than double what the properties were valued by the county property appraiser, the Times found. Right now, at least 30 businesses owned by non-parishioners are renting from Scientologists. You will discover the facts for yourself when you read that article; it provides the real answer as to what has happened with downtown revitalizationand how that revitalization was torpedoed by the Times. And it's also basically the financial nucleus of the entire organization. William Faulkner, "The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis." And the mayor at the time, Gabe Cazares, really raised the alarm. Andrus helped carry out a plan to stop a Scientologist who had spied on the federal government from turning himself in to the FBI. That's the findings of a story in the Tampa Bay Times that's headlined clear takeover. 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. Looking at the Times map of the new ownership, City Council member David Allbritton recalled a moment from 2017 that now seems telling. Cruise, 56, is moving into a multimillion-dollar penthouse apartment at The SkyView, a 10 . Thank you for having us. His wife, parishioner and real estate agent, Terri Novitsky, represented the buyer in many of the deals, according to interviews with sellers. 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. A few weeks later, John Yarbrough sold the building where he had run his electrical services business for 22 years. Facebook. George Orwell's astonishing novel 1984 depicts a dystopian world that has many remarkable similarities to scientology. City officials have long hoped for private investors to transform the North Marina Area, a 13-block district with undeveloped lots and 100-year-old bungalows overlooking Clearwater Harbor. Scientologys extraordinary influence over its members has been documented in government investigations and testimony from former parishioners throughout its 65-year history. But thats not important. Visit hotel website. Hamilton, who owns the Palm Pavilion on Clearwater Beach, said if he was going to buy a piece of commercial property, then he would have plans for it before he acquired it and would head straight. Clearwater is a beautiful town and the downtown area is now a ghost town. From $150.62 per night. Dalai Lama. by . After FBI raids uncovered the infiltrations, city officials launched their own investigations. No one from the church dictates to me what to buy, what to sell, what to do.. Investigative journalism like this is the most expensive work that we do. DeSantis vetoed a $1M Day of Service program that was worth so much more | Column, DeSantis calls for open market to compete with Advanced Placement, Supreme Court weighs Biden student loan plan worth billions, Maple Leafs: Lightning, other division rivals did not spur deal, The youngest Grand Prix of St. Petersburg driver? 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. It is owned and operated by the Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization, Inc., a subsidiary of the Church of Scientology International . It's Clearwater, FL. Clarion Inn & Suites Central Clearwater Beach. Instead, the aquarium sold it to the city in April 2017 for a lot less $4.25 million. GARCIA-NAVARRO: So clearly they wanted these properties a great deal. Closed now : See all hours. how to create a signature in outlook 365; hotels owned by scientologists in clearwater. Then walk down Cleveland Street downtowns main artery. The church requires followers to shun family members, friends and business contacts who defy it. GARCIA-NAVARRO: What do you mean billion year contracts? While theres no law against hanging onto property, developers typically buy land, build on it and sell it for profit. Clearwater is home to one of the Church's most important bases, a campus called Flag (above), which Scientologists across the globe make pilgrimages to. The Travolta home. Typically, when people buy commercial real estate, they move forward with construction or redevelopment. Zano did not respond to questions about what his plans for the properties. The analysis did not include residential parcels except in cases where they were bought in conjunction with commercial property or vacant land. Its too soon to say how the shift in ownership will affect downtown. CONNIE HUMBURG, TRACEY McMANUS, ELI MURRAY, ELI ZHANG | Times. Log in, If the org slumps during this transition period, don't engage in "fund raising" I thought this person was a cult member immediately . Since 2017, the Church of Scientology and companies run by its members have bought 92 properties around the center of downtown. Anonymous "members" have stated it was a great success with at least 3 Scientology members being arrested for assault, when the scientologists grabbed and attempted to remove protesters' masks. So we kept our eye on the downtown purchases. The goal was to capture the area immediately surrounding both Scientologys headquarters, City Hall and the city-owned waterfront. The churchs influence comes from its massive wealth, estimated around $3billion in cash and assets, collected from devoted followers. City officials are suspicious that the church could be planning to do something with the land they now posses. The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination. . After negotiations, Kerrs company paid Yarbrough $1.1 million in cash for the lots, then valued by Pinellas County at $331,000.

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