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. There's parishioners that come here from all over the world to take courses in high level auditing that's not offered anywhere else. If our work stats did not improve day to day . 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/ But the couple isnt ready to let go. In 2016, city consultants began planning what has become a $64 million effort to reinvigorate the waterfront called Imagine Clearwater. Scientology leader David Miscavige had his own redevelopment plan. Fischler, a local real estate agent, negotiated at least 10 of the downtown deals, according to interviews with sellers. In private meetings with council members, the Scientology leader described a plan for high-end shops, Cleveland Street facade renovations and an entertainment complex involving actor Tom Cruise, Scientologys most famous parishioner. VIDEO: Finally, Scientific Proof that Scientologys Body Thetans Cannot Exist! They keep their operations going. Nicole Lyn Pesce is News Editor, Trending at MarketWatch and is based in New York. Seventy-three percent of the property is tax-exempt for religious purposes. A for-lease sign sits in long-vacant retail space at The SkyView condo tower, owned by Scientologist and developer Moises Agami. We also hold the distinction of being the first Scientology Church in the Southern Hemisphere. Cazares responds with an $8 million libel suit. Can you give me a sense of the scale and how they have made this happen with the relatively little fanfare over the years? Some of the parishioners have a history of working on Scientologys behalf. Seventy-one percent of the 60 parcels the Church of Scientology owns under its name in Pinellas County are tax-exempt for religious purposes. Additional Clearwater real estate purchases began in 2019. Tampa Bay Times reporter Tracey McManus has spent the last four years writing about Scientology and the churchs relationship with the city of Clearwater. Rodney Riley is an interesting character in this whole thing. EMPIRICAL PROSPECTING COMPANY LIMITED. $99 million of the purchases were paid for in cash.. We have previously presented a case that the $103 million was provided by Scientologist David Gentile's GPB Capital Holdings. Lares declined again when Fischler met him at a restaurant in Pinellas Park for lunch, and once more when she tried in May. On Sept. 7, Epsteins employee was removed from the corporate filings of the company that own the land. 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. Scientologists living in Clearwater span the gamut of professional life . ANTIFRAGILE LIMITED These are the companies and names on this list (put into alphabetical order, I also added what are probably the largest scientology owned businesses in the area KnowB4, NTC, Consumer Sales Solutions and Energy Professionals: Axiom Bahia Property Management (Raul Aleman) Blue Streak Docs (Sam Gendusa) Buzzazz Business Solutions (Keanan Kintzel) The Church is the largest property taxpayer in downtown Clearwater, paying nearly $1 million in property taxes last year. 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. Copyright 2019 NPR. Fischler offered Bosi $1.4 million, almost three times what the property was valued. 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. Scientologists deal with useful non-Scientologists quite often. Xenu Who? 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. The Church was unaware of the land purchases? Please consider supporting us with a tax-deductible donation to the Tampa Bay Times Investigative Fund. Scientology has been accused of using the information as blackmail. Block after block, vacant lots sit untouched, and storefronts remain empty: A former jewelry store. Its members bought property on surrounding blocks. 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. 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. We built a graphic demonstrating just how little is left. During spiritual counseling, parishioners are interrogated about their deepest secrets, which are recorded in folders and stored indefinitely. They have control over what businesses, if any, come in. Thirteen were existing tenants when he bought the properties. MCMANUS: Right - because the city officials have said that there's only so many factors they control. Fair Game: Leah Remini & Mike Rinders Podcast, The Aftermath Foundation: Help for Those Who Want to Leave the Sea Org, Scientologys Membership Contract Goes Down in Flames in Court, Chris Shelton's Sensibly Speaking Podcast, Dr. Steven Hassan's Freedom of Mind Resource Center, Stefani Hutchison's Confront & Shatter Blog, The Aftermath Foundation: Helping Those Who Have Left the Sea Org, More Scientologists Getting Into Crypto: Alfreddie Johnson and Karilyn Youngman-Trammell and Their Solar Gold Cryptocurrency, More Grant Cardone Fraud: His Plan for Businesses to Use Credit Cards to Pay for Cardone Sales Training and then Declare Bankruptcy, Church of Scientology International(158), Scientology Fair Game: Cult Leader David Miscavige Orders Attacks on Marc Headley and His Business, US Federal Prosecutor Now Investigating Retired LAPD Cop & Scientology Pal Captain Cory Palka for Corruption, Subpoena-Evader and Thug Life Scientology Leader David Miscavige Served a Subpoena by a US Federal Court on Valentines Day 2023, Scientologist David Gentile Goes Down in Flames in the Pretrial Phase of His US Federal Criminal Case. Welcome. Subscribe to our free Stephinitely newsletter. The project broke ground in August and is aimed at helping bring businesses and foot traffic to the empty storefronts in the surrounding blocks. Scientologists from across the globe make pilgrimages to the campus, called Flag. A broker is trying to buy the building Peter and Emily Lares have owned for decades. We previously reported on CA South Development. 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. Fifty-eight are in the city of Clearwater and 49 are downtown.. How much of Clearwater is owned by Scientology? Another tell. Right now, at least 30 businesses owned by non-parishioners are renting from Scientologists. It appears that Project Normandy is still operational. Although that arrangement is standard in real estate, it makes it impossible to know whether the properties are owned by the Scientologists who manage the companies, the wealthy church or another hidden party. These workers sign billion year contracts, are paid very little, work around the clock. 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. Copyright 2023 MarketWatch, Inc. All rights reserved. It was owned by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. 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. And Scientology has an interest in keeping that insulated according to former executives that we've interviewed. About 72 percent of those properties are tax exempt for religious uses. Flag is what they call it, and it's the international spiritual headquarters of the church. Bosi wasnt interested. . MCMANUS: Scientology arrived in downtown Clearwater in 1975. 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. Osman Ozsan runs two funds in Clearwater: According to online records, Ozsan, Gregori And Company LLC has only two client accounts: Osman Ozsan is on the Advisory Board of CA South Development, a firm founded by Scientologists Megan and Stephen Epstein. [ The full history: Scientologys 40 years of conflict with the City of Clearwater, recapped ]. The property wasnt on the market. Asked directly whether Scientology orchestrated or paid for any of the sales, the church did not answer. My true love gave to me/Three French hens/Two turtle doves/And a partridge in a pear tree). MCMANUS: Well, our reporting shows that Scientology has a big interest in preserving its downtown campus. Gulf Coast Marine and ClearwaterPlumbing. 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. 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. Although Zano is not well known in Clearwater, the companies spent $16.7 million acquiring 26 commercial properties downtown. Mike Rinder, who led Scientologys intelligence arm before defecting in 2007, said any property owned by a parishioner is in the churchs control. The memos were later seized by the FBI. He promoted the site to about 75 hoteliers and developers across the country. You have some buyers here that their motivations are not really clear, he said, so its tough to make economic sense out of it.. At first, I just wanted to make a short video about the buildings and programs they are doing in clearwater. In the 70s, Andrus was named an unindicted co-conspirator in a Scientology plan to infiltrate the government. However, this tactic can backfire when it comes across as answering a question no one has asked. They haven't submitted redevelopment plans. 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. Both have been there for decades. After negotiations, Kerrs company paid Yarbrough $1.1 million in cash for the lots, then valued by Pinellas County at $331,000. 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. On Sept. 7, Epsteins employee was removed from the corporate filings of the company that own the land. Scientology Fines OTs $100,000 if They Talk About Xenu or Body Thetans! Scientologys extraordinary influence over its members has been documented in government investigations and testimony from former parishioners throughout its 65-year history. If this is Trish Duggans money, and Scientologist Osman Ozsan manages her money, then that could very likely make Trish Duggan the Scientologist financier behind the scenes on the Clearwater land purchases. None of the other parishioners whose companies bought property since 2017 responded to questions about their plans.
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