companies owned by scientologists in clearwaternicknames for the name memphis

ANTIFRAGILE LIMITED 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. 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. Former parishioners say the church has a history of interfering in Scientologists downtown business. Much of downtown Clearwater is now owned by people or companies tied to Scientology, a report finds. Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard had written about doing away with governments and replacing them with a Scientology-run society. Most religions have a fundamentalist wing, Rinder said. Non-Scientologists who get too close are a threat to the operation, said Mat Pesch, who spent 27 years in the Sea Org and worked as Flags treasury secretary before defecting in 2005. Its a business, Pesch said. 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. Bosi wasnt interested. . They called it, quote, "little more than self-serving propaganda intended to give the appearance of objective reporting." Both are supposed to open soon. Our opinion is that Riley was instructed to get ahead of the story by bringing up Scientology before he was asked about it. Wayne E. Lee ran his Auto Parts Distributors business on Park Street since 1982. Norm Novitsky hung up when asked by a reporter about the companies plans. Clearwater is the permanent home to more than 10,000 Scientology parishioners. 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. 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. They came in under a fake name to buy the Fort Harrison Hotel, a historic hotel right in the center of downtown. The churchs influence comes from the estimated $3 billion in cash and assets it has collected from its followers. 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. Gensler does all the architectural work for Scientologys Ideal Orgs. The more its isolated and doesnt have people who are non-Scientologists around the area, the better.. In a letter, the church said the Times is misinterpreting Scientology policy and that other religions also practice shunning. However, this tactic can backfire when it comes across as answering a question no one has asked. Seventy-three percent of the property is tax-exempt for religious purposes. TRACEY MCMANUS: Hi, Lulu. Since July 2019, eight limited liability companies managed or operated by members of the church have bought 45 properties in North Marina, including Chesneys. Half the sales were for more than double what the properties were valued at by the county property appraiser. Sep 19, 2022 - Anonymous Employee in Clearwater, FL. Riley is also working with Gensler on the development. Theres no such thing in Scientology. This gallery shows all 60 properties Scientology owns under its name in Pinellas county and six additional retail properties the church acquired through limited liability companies in 2017. All five City Council members said they doubted the rash of purchases were unrelated. The city and the church fought in court for years. 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. City officials plan to partner with a developer on ways to adapt the red brick schoolhouse, like turning it into a hub for restaurants, retail, or apartments. It has terrorized defectors with private investigators, smear campaigns and relentless litigation. 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. But companies controlled by different parishioners bought neighboring properties that create clear assemblages of land. The companies paid a combined $11.8 million in cash for 28 undeveloped parcels, five empty commercial buildings and a dozen homes in the district, most of them dilapidated. In late 2020, Terri Novitsky also was elected to the Downtown Development Board, an advisory group tasked with promoting downtown. Gentile also purchased several Clearwater companies owned by Scientologists who may have invested the proceeds into land deals. In interviews, sellers said most of the transactions unfolded the same way. After his stint at CBRE, Riley worked for Caliber Wells in Scottsdale, Arizona and then left the firm. On Sept. 7, Epsteins employee was removed from the corporate filings of the company that own the land. After FBI raids uncovered the infiltrations, city officials launched their own investigations. If Epsteins client was not the Church of Scientology then who is his client? Fischler did not respond to phone messages, a certified letter or a note left at her condo. The pattern of Scientology-tied companies buying so many properties and sitting on them flies in the face of most land economics, said Tobias, who has been appraising property in Pinellas County for 50 years. 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. Since July 2019, eight limited liability companies managed or operatedby members of the church have bought 45 properties in North Marina, including Chesneys. It teaches that expanding Scientology is key to saving the world, then wields a system of totalitarian policies to keep parishioners in line. Thank you very much. There is ZERO chance of me getting sucked in. These workers sign billion year contracts, are paid very little, work around the clock. Ozsan has had a residence in London since 2001. The land grab started as tensions grew between the church and the Clearwater City Council. This month, Shahab Emrani was elected to the Downtown Development Board, which helps promote downtown. GPB Capital Holdings: Court-Appointed Monitors Report on Q4 2022 Activities. That company has had no connection to Coldwell Banker for decades. This is a story for another time. 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. MCMANUS: You know, Lulu, from my reporting, I've learned that there's a lot of mistrust and suspicion still in the community when it comes to Scientology because a lot of the residents here were living in the city when Scientology arrived in the '70s, and they remember the tactics Scientology used. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Fuster and Ozsan go back a long way to Altea Real Property Ltd. in London. Tracey McManus is a Scientology reporter for the paper, and she joins us now. And the properties cover about 100 acres. AMI's culture and team members truly make AMI an amazing place to work! 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. He shows up in Clearwater from Arizona a few months ago. MCMANUS: Well, our reporting shows that Scientology has a big interest in preserving its downtown campus. Holding and president of Graymoss, Inc. [27] The architectural firm HOK was hired to deliver the project. Block after block, vacant lots sit untouched, and storefronts remain empty: A former jewelry store. He called the Tampa Bay Times questions about parishioners activity not just stupid, false and offensive, but un-American., You talk out of both sides of your mouth: If redevelopment is being done by the city or a member of another religion, not Scientology, it is good; if redevelopment is being done by a Scientologist, it is bad, Shaw said. In her bombshell 2019 news story Clear Takeover, Tracey McManus revealed that $103 million in Downtown Clearwater land purchases were made by a series of LLC's owned by Scientologists. We are an equal opportunity employer and fully EEOC compliant. 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. A broker is trying to buy the building Peter and Emily Lares have owned for decades. And the Times found that in six cases buyers paid quadruple a propertys value. I mean, how big is the Church of Scientology where you are? The church acquired three others in a land swap. MCMANUS: It kind of started in early 2017. Rodney Riley is an interesting character in this whole thing. Business Outlook. In recent puff piece media coverage in Clearwater, we are told that Riley: is in the process of buying 15 tracts in the Clearwater Marina area to develop what he is calling the Clearwater Marina District a connected walkable community with modern offices, retail, luxury condos and a boutique hotel, as well as affordable housing. Osman Ozsan has been a Scientologist since the 1990s. Rod Riley has no background in Scientology. 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. Seven businesses have left following recent purchases, and at least three more are leaving this year, including Clearwater Plumbing and Gulf Coast Marine. You are a fundamentalist Scientologist, or youre not one at all.. In an interview with Scientology-owned "Freedom Magazine" Gendusa said that she moved to Clearwater to study Scientology more than 25 years ago. Melitta coffee filters are manufactured in Clearwater, Florida. If you are looking for a career where your coworkers and leadership care about you and your success, AMI is the right place! A deserted coin laundry. 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. Recommend. It set aside $10 million for secret real estate purchases in Clearwater. Subscribe to our free Stephinitely newsletter. Times Staff WritersOct. Click here to read the story. Project Normandy was described in one of hundreds of internal memos Scientology officials exchanged about their plans to infiltrate and control Clearwater. Visitors are expected to stay in Scientologys hotels and eat at private church restaurants. The hotel has 11 stories and features 220 rooms, three restaurants, a swimming pool and a . DEUTERIUM INVESTMENT ADVISORS LIMITED The Scientology leader had offered the Clearwater Marine Aquarium $15 million for that 1.4-acre grass lot on Pierce Street. The Church of Scientology and companies run by its members have spent $103 million since 2017 buying about 100 properties. Advance! Your characterization that his religious affiliations somehow control his business activities is evidence of personal bias against his religion, Zaretsky wrote. Gulf Coast Marine and ClearwaterPlumbing. Lares and his wife, Emily, sold the diner inside a decade ago. 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. Help us keep bringing stories like this to you. Since arriving in Clearwater in 1975, the Church of Scientology has purchased 60 properties in Pinellas County under its name. Assistant City Manager Michael Delk said the citys priority is turning the spectacular land it owns into a community destination, no matter who owns the private property around it. Clearwater in 1975, the better were for more than self-serving propaganda intended to give the appearance of objective.... Totalitarian policies to keep parishioners in line for religious purposes hired to deliver the project purchased... Artery, are paid very little, work around the area, the better success, is. A report finds advisory group tasked with promoting downtown keep bringing stories like this to you historic... 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