Clearwater mayor hoping to work with Church of Scientology on downtown development

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Several properties in downtown Clearwater are now in the hands of Church of Scientology members. While many of them are vacant, it comes at a time when the city aggressively works to revitalize downtown.

The most recent set of purchases made by LLCs associated with the church include eight properties worth a combined $57 million. One of the buildings is currently being leased by the city and houses the City of Clearwater's government offices. Mayor Bruce Rector is hopeful the city's relationship with the church improves, so they can work together to revitalize downtown.

An 11-story office building known as One Clearwater Tower is among the latest properties in downtown Clearwater sold to LLCs associated with the Church of Scientology. It's part of a trend that's been going on for years. Since 2017, entities tied to the Church of Scientology have bought 200-some properties in and around downtown, broadening the church's control over what comes into the area.

"Clearwater citizens want to see a balanced downtown Clearwater, something other than just Scientology, so that's our goal is to create that balance. That's what our citizens want us to do," Mayor Rector said.

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As Mayor Rector explains, they're hoping to create that balance by building off the momentum of growing areas like Coachman Park, which has seen more than 120,000 visitors since it opened last year. The area includes an amphitheater, splash pad, pavilions, picnic tables and an area for farmer's markets. However, just down the street, vacant storefronts have sat empty for years after being bought by entities associated with the church.

The Mayor would like to see new businesses fill the vacancies, but companies associated with the church ultimately have the upper hand on what comes into the empty spaces.

"We need to work on our relationship with Scientology for sure and find solutions to getting those vacant buildings activated," Rector said.

When it comes to bringing business in, Mayor Rector says he would like to see some sort of entertainment complex with dining, something that would attract tourists from the beach to downtown.

"We really look to kind of capture the same vibe, the same type of reputation that they've achieved in downtown Tampa and downtown Saint Petersburg and that's a mix of those different things," Rector said.

FOX 13 reached out to the new property owners and the Church of Scientology for more on their plans for the properties and are still waiting to hear back.

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