About 72 percent of those properties are tax exempt for religious uses. Agami also signed two more leases on the same block with restaurants owned by people not connected to the church. Clearwater is the center of that revenue stream. Construction on eight townhomes on the south end of the marina began Oct. 1, according to county records. Businesses without ties to the church are moving into a few of those. The goal was to capture the area immediately surrounding both Scientologys headquarters, City Hall and the city-owned waterfront. Can you give me a sense of the scale and how they have made this happen with the relatively little fanfare over the years? Another Scientologist, Rick Argall, owned a building on downtowns Garden Avenue that housed six Scientologist-run businesses, including a chiropractic clinic he operated with a fellow church member. All 45 North Marina properties were purchased by companies managed or operated by two longtime members of Scientology: Steven Hayes, an attorney who has done legal work on behalf of church related organizations for more than two decades, and Norm Novitsky, a businessperson who has donated at least $5 million to Scientology. Church of Scientology website It is with great pride we welcome you to the Church of Scientology of Melbourne. 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. Hes still holding out. EMPIRICAL PROSPECTING COMPANY LIMITED. Columnist Stephanie Hayes will share thoughts, feelings and funny business with you every Monday. Scientologists deal with useful non-Scientologists quite often. Then walk down Cleveland Street downtowns main artery. We interpret it as the Tampa Bay Times getting too close for Mr. Epsteins comfort. In interviews, sellers said most of the transactions unfolded the same way. His wife, parishioner and real estate agent, Terri Novitsky, represented the buyer in many of the deals, according to interviews with sellers. Eventually, open tensions faded. The city wants to turn downtown into a regional destination for food, drink and entertainment. In late 2020, Terri Novitsky also was elected to the Downtown Development Board, an advisory group tasked with promoting downtown. Rileys Clearwater Marina District development has a $350 million price tag on it. Originally founded in 1955, we are the oldest Scientology Church in Australia. There's parishioners that come here from all over the world to take courses in high level auditing that's not offered anywhere else. 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. As a general rule, when someone makes an unsolicited statement, as Riley did by mentioning Mormons and Scientologists, it suggests to us hidden connections. They paid $26 million. It was a very turbulent time. Business Outlook. The analysis did not include residential parcels except in cases where they were bought in conjunction with commercial property or vacant land. 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. Andrus did not respond to an email, phone message, a note left at his office or a certified letter. Indeed, Scientology used the name The United Churches of Florida to purchase the Fort Harrison in 1975 for $3 million in cash. Over the next four decades, the church gradually amassed 58 properties in Clearwater under its name, 49 of them downtown. You are a fundamentalist Scientologist, or youre not one at all.. But Scientologist-controlled companies are also sitting on at least 26 vacant lots and 31 empty storefronts and offices. Scientology members fuel another land-buying surge in Clearwater Companies tied to the Church of Scientology paid millions in cash for 45 properties near downtown with no major plans in. He has also lived in Hong Kong and South Korea. Thats not happening with almost any of these properties., [ More reaction: What Clearwaters City Council thinks about Scientologys downtown takeover ]. GPB Capital Holdings: Court-Appointed Monitors Report on Q4 2022 Activities. Through a spokesperson, Epstein said in an email that CA South looked into developing the properties on behalf of a client but walked away when the city did not relax a rule prohibiting a parking lot level facing North Fort Harrison Avenue. Some landlords tied to Scientology have helped bring life to portions of downtown. David Gentile is creative with money and had hundreds of bank accounts and sub-funds when he ran GPB Capital. All rights reserved. In September, Andrus completed construction there on Marina Bay 880, two towers that hug the marina with 87 luxury condos and amenities like an Olympic-sized pool and sauna. But on the notice filed with Pinellas County for the roof replacement at 801 N Fort Harrison Ave., Andrus signed his name as a manager of the company that owns the building. And it's also basically the financial nucleus of the entire organization. Advance! Most religions have a fundamentalist wing, Rinder said. What Clearwaters City Council thinks, Scientologys 40 years of conflict with Clearwater, recapped, See a slideshow of all the churchs buildings. 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. Inc. magazine's 2019 report on the 5,000 fastest-growing privately owned businesses in America cites 16 firms based in Clearwater. They haven't submitted redevelopment plans. In an interview with Scientology-owned "Freedom Magazine" Gendusa said that she moved to Clearwater to study Scientology more than 25 years ago. It said information in parishioner folders is sacrosanct and claims of blackmail have long since been disproven.. This makes no sense, except of course to a bigot.. Pros. Project Normandy was described in one of hundreds of internal memos Scientology officials exchanged about their plans to infiltrate and control Clearwater. Mayor George Cretekos listens at a City Council meeting in April 2017 as residents pushed the council to purchase a vacant lot that Scientology also wanted. . Epstein could have simply told the reporter his client was not the Church of Scientology and left it at that. All five City Council members said they doubted the rash of purchases were unrelated. In North America, Melitta is the leading brand of coffee filters. Internal church documents detailed missions that planted spies in the state attorneys office, the Chamber of Commerce and the Clearwater Sun newspaper. About 72 percent of those properties are tax exempt for religious uses. We don't know if they're just going to continue to squat on them - because they haven't done anything yet. A few weeks later, John Yarbrough sold the building where he had run his electrical services business for 22 years. Do you own your house? Fifty-eight are in the city of Clearwater and 49 are downtown.. Over half are owned or operated by Scientologists. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Both have been there for decades. Local TV station WTSP reports. This is a story for another time. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. City officials say their dedication to redeveloping the waterfront hasnt changed. Fischler did not respond to phone messages, a certified letter or a note left at her condo. He promoted the site to about 75 hoteliers and developers across the country. At first, I just wanted to make a short video about the buildings and programs they are doing in clearwater. The hotel has 11 stories and features 220 rooms, three restaurants, a swimming pool and a . It is a big faux pas in business PR to bring up the subject of religion when it is absolutely unnecessary to do so. The lack of action from Scientology-tied buyers has precedent. By then, he had found an auto garage he could buy in Dunedin. Candidates and Scientologists Emrani, Kintzel and . Hayes, the attorney and parishioner involved in the rest of the North Marina purchases, was added as manager on the companies filings. The few willing to answer questions said Scientology has no influence on their real estate dealings. Rodney Riley is an interesting character in this whole thing. 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. A lot of them are vacant lots, vacant buildings, empty storefronts. Another tell. (I'm in Clearwater). This is a big giveaway in our view. 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. An empty Walgreens. Instead, the aquarium sold it to the city in April 2017 for a lot less $4.25 million. The Times described sales as cash transactions when they were paid without a mortgage filed in public records. businesses owned by scientologistsdoes keegan allen have a child 26th February 2023 / in west warwick viewpoint / by / in west warwick viewpoint / by Both the Church of Scientology and GPB Capital denied it. GARCIA-NAVARRO: What is the view of the local community? Scientology leader David Miscavige had his own redevelopment plan. It is headed by David Miscavige [1] . 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. However, it hasnt always been clear to me as to just what does that actually mean.. CLEARWATER Ed Chesney had two rental homes and two vacant lots in the North Marina Area on the market for a year before his real estate agent called in late 2019 with good news. 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. Based upon on our new hypothesis that Trish Duggan may be the financier of the land purchases, the logic of bringing in non-Scientologist Rod Riley to act as the frontman makes sense as it can serve to counter any accusation that Scientology is taking over Clearwater. The 2017-2019 Downtown Clearwater land purchases made by Scientologists totaled $103 million. It would be the same if I was a (proud) Christian, Jew, or Muslim. He is not listed on the corporate filings for any of the eight limited liability companies that recently bought the North Marina properties. Block after block, vacant lots sit untouched, and storefronts remain empty: A former jewelry store. A sign in front of the business says, "Notice: This is one of the only spas in downtown Clearwater not owned by a Scientologist .". It has to be somebody with the money to invest in a real estate development deal. The churchs influence comes from the estimated $3 billion in cash and assets it has collected from its followers. Write by: . 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/ Through a spokesperson, Epstein said in an email that CA South looked into developing the properties on behalf of a client but walked away when the city did not relax a rule prohibiting a parking lot level facing North Fort Harrison Avenue. (Everything owned by parishioner-run companies is still on the tax rolls. Scientologists living in Clearwater span the gamut of professional life . You have some buyers here that their motivations are not really clear, he said, so its tough to make economic sense out of it.. Theres no such thing in Scientology. In January and February 2017, as the council was preparing to approve the consultants concept, a handful of companies bought six commercial properties downtown. TRACEY MCMANUS: Hi, Lulu. In January and February 2017, a handful of limited liability companies bought six prime downtown parcels. Fischler offered Bosi $1.4 million, almost three times what the property was valued. Holding and president of Graymoss, Inc. [27] The architectural firm HOK was hired to deliver the project. Cazares responds with an $8 million libel suit. Nicole Lyn Pesce is News Editor, Trending at MarketWatch and is based in New York. City Council member Mark Bunker said although the church is not the official buyer of the downtown and North Marina properties, there is reason to believe Scientology leader David Miscavige is orchestrating the parishioner-operated companies making the acquisitions. 9,523 Scientologists live in the Tampa Bay area. Seven businesses have left following recent purchases, and at least three more are leaving this year, including Clearwater Plumbing and Gulf Coast Marine. In Florida, limited liability companies that buy property are required to disclose administrative operators but not their owners. 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. Was to capture the area immediately surrounding both Scientologys headquarters, City Hall and the Sun. Thinks, Scientologys 40 years of conflict with Clearwater, recapped, a... 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