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. And yes, everyone that works here is asked to keep politics and religion out . Searcy felt like hed created a canvas for a dream hotel, condo and retail project: near the bridge to Clearwater Beach, no height restrictions, all under $5 million. ( magazine) Applied Philosophy ARC Straightwire (ARC stands for affinity-reality-communication) ARC Fil Direct Audited NOTs (NOT stands for NED [New Era Dianetics] Operating Thetan) The Auditor Times Staff WritersOct. 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. Mayor Jane Castors partner vowed not to lobby the city. Rice said hes been surprised that he has not been approached by brokers trying to buy his 10,000-square-foot building. The few willing to answer questions said Scientology has no influence on their real estate dealings. businesses owned by scientologistsdoes keegan allen have a child 26th February 2023 / in west warwick viewpoint / by / in west warwick viewpoint / by A broker is trying to buy the building Peter and Emily Lares have owned for decades. (Guess he hasnt seen the game tapes), US Supreme Court refuses to block Florida execution of Donald Dillbeck, Red-hot USF women close out home schedule with explosive offensive showing, Editorial Cartoons for Thursday from Times Wire Services, 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. But the promised downtown revival never came. But Lee assumed the church was involved. Osman Ozsan has been a Scientologist since the 1990s. Reached at their condo, his wife declined to comment. Weve spent a lot of happy years here, Lares said. In late 2020, Terri Novitsky also was elected to the Downtown Development Board, an advisory group tasked with promoting downtown. Most of the sales have not previously been reported. 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. In San Diego, Taylor Guitars and Deering Banjo Company. This gallery shows all 60 properties Scientology owns under its name in Pinellas county and the six retail properties the church acquired through limited liability companies in 2017. I think it's comparable to say it's kind of, like, if there were to be a Vatican reporter in Vatican City. The Church of Scientology and its parishioners now own a lot of real estate in Clearwater, Fla., as reported by the Tampa Bay Times. The Fort Harrison Hotel serves as the flagship building of the Flag Land Base, the Church of Scientology's spiritual headquarters in Clearwater, Florida, US.It is owned and operated by the Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization, Inc., a subsidiary of the Church of Scientology International.. In both communities [comparing Mesa to Clearwater], there is a major presence of a church. He took over Bob Lees Auto to continue the business legacy and served on the Downtown Development Board for a decade. Please consider supporting us with a tax-deductible donation to the Tampa Bay Times Investigative Fund. 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. It said information in parishioner folders is sacrosanct and claims of blackmail have long since been disproven.. Gulf Coast Marine and ClearwaterPlumbing. Theyve got one intention, and one intention only, De Vocht said. The Times used the date that transactions were recorded in Clerk of Courts official record as the date of sale. Many of their properties weren't listed for sale. The Church of Scientology and its members are rapidly buying up a vast downtown neighborhood in a Florida city, according to a major investigation by the Tampa Bay Times. The church promised to spend $55 million. In the 70s, Andrus was named an unindicted co-conspirator in a Scientology plan to infiltrate the government. Help us keep bringing stories like this to you. The church has shed no light on its plans. Learn how your comment data is processed. Florida migrant flights lawsuit dismissed in wake of Legislature passing law, Editorial Cartoons for Thursday from Times Wire Services, Bucs new coordinator is confident! Religious Technology Center (RTC) is the primary manager of Scientology intellectual property. Suspicion swirled. Fifty-eight are in the city of Clearwater and 49 are downtown. The Times counted each parcel that was assigned a value by the property appraiser as a single property with five exceptions. 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. And our analysis found that these church officials were offering two, three, four times what the property appraiser said the properties were valued. 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. She reported full-time for six months, interviewing more than 90 people and reviewing more than 1,000 documents, to bring you this story. Construction on eight townhomes on the south end of the marina began Oct. 1, according to county records. MCMANUS: Brokers representing these companies were approaching downtown property owners. You are a fundamentalist Scientologist, or youre not one at all.. Thirteen were existing tenants when he bought the properties. He is linked to the Church of Scientology via the Epsteins and Trish Duggan. In addition to a park and amphitheater, Imagine Clearwater also calls for several new projects on the waterfront with residences and retail. Scientology has been accused of using the information as blackmail. Typically, when people buy commercial real estate, they move forward with construction or redevelopment. And $99 million of the $103 million in real-estate deals over the past three years were in cash. This is a story for another time. Lee sold when Fischler upped her offer to $410,000 cash for the building valued at $109,000 by the property appraiser. 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. Andrus, the former church operative, has broken ground on a condo tower near the citys boat ramp and filed plans for another housing complex nearby. Much of downtown Clearwater is now owned by people or companies tied to Scientology, a report finds. 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, this tactic can backfire when it comes across as answering a question no one has asked. But its potential is still untapped, with prime vacant land overlooking Clearwater Harbor. 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. 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/ And the mayor at the time, Gabe Cazares, really raised the alarm. All five City Council members said they doubted the rash of purchases were unrelated. A for-lease sign sits in long-vacant retail space at The SkyView condo tower, owned by Scientologist and developer Moises Agami. GARCIA-NAVARRO: Just out of curiosity, when you say the tactics that they used in the '70s, what were those? Companies tied to the Church of Scientology paid millions in cash for 45 properties near downtown with no major plans in sight. Scientology has said it has 10 million followers, but surveys and accounts from former members suggest there are no more than 30,000 worldwide. GPB Capital Holdings: Court-Appointed Monitors Report on Q4 2022 Activities. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with reporter Tracey McManus. He saw the area improve when police cracked down on drugs and prostitution decades ago. February 27, 2023 endeavor air pilot contract No Comments . Paid in cash. Fuster and Ozsan go back a long way to Altea Real Property Ltd. in London. (Everything owned by parishioner-run companies is still on the tax rolls. 20, 2019. 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