Scientology Fears Shouldn't Squelch Clearwater Bluffs Project: Bunker

CLEARWATER, FL — For some people, the creepiest place in Clearwater this Halloween isn't the city's supposedly haunted historic cemetery or the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre where ghosts are rumored to roam. It's downtown Clearwater, said Clearwater City Council member Mark Bunker.

After listening to residents' concerns during a series of information meetings on the Nov. 8 Clearwater referendum asking voter approval to sell two strategically located city-owned downtown properties, known as the Clearwater Bluffs, to be developed into a hotel, apartments and shops, he said he fears that perspective could doom the referendum.

"There are a couple of things that people who are worried about this (the Clearwater Bluff Project) always say. Let me just quickly address those: 'It's creepy downtown.' I understand that. When I first came here, it was creepy for me, too," Bunker said. "But then I started working downtown and it became my downtown. If you come downtown, there's really no reason to be concerned. It feels creepy because we've heard so many decades of stories about horrible things that Scientology management had done."

The arrival of the controversial Church of Scientology in Clearwater in 1975 and the subsequent construction of its world headquarters, known as The Flag, in Clearwater, completed in 2011, has long been a bone of contention for Clearwater residents.

Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices created by American science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard in his 1952 book, "Dianetics."

Despite such famous Scientology members as Tom Cruise and John Travolta, both of whom now live in Clearwater most of the year, there's a perception that Scientology is a cult that's been cemented in documentaries like the A&E documentary series, "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath," in which the actress and other former members speak out against the church's practices. Former members have accused the church of brainwashing, denying mental health services to members in need due to its opposition to psychiatry and retribution against former members who speak out against the church.

Shortly after setting up shop in downtown Clearwater, the church began acquiring downtown property, reshaping the city in its own image and creating friction with residents. That divisiveness has increased over the years as both the Church of Scientology and individual parishioners have purchased downtown properties and then left them sitting vacant, turning downtown Clearwater into a ghost town.

The resentment and hostility against the church peaked with the revelation that the church and its members have spent $103 million since 2017 purchasing 185 properties, encompassing more than 100 acres in the city, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times.

Bunker, a documentary filmmaker and broadcast journalist, is a longtime critic of Scientology. He successfully ran for the Clearwater City Council in 2020 with an endorsement from Remini.

He believes that the Bluff Project will reverse the negative impact the Church of Scientology has had on downtown Clearwater and lead to the revitalization of the dying downtown area.

"Believe me, when we have all of these people living, working and playing downtown, it's going to be a beautiful thing," he said. "When they finish building the apartments, up to 600 apartments, when we have the amphitheater rocking, we're going to turn the downtown around like you wouldn't believe."

He cautioned residents not to paint all Scientologists with the same brush.

"People say, 'I don't want to give a nickel to Scientology so I'm not going to eat at a restaurant," he said.

"Most of the restaurants, they aren't owned by Scientologists; the workers aren't Scientologists. A restaurant like Clear Sky (on Cleveland) is in a building owned by a Scientologist, but, let me say this, that Scientologist is doing the right thing. He's allowing a business to not only operate but to thrive. And that's what we need," he said.

"The real problem are the Scientologist parishioners and Scientology itself who spent over $100 million buying up all the properties to leave them vacant," Bunker said. "That's what we need to object to."

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At last week's city council meeting, Bunker said he wants to dispel any rumors that the Bluff Project is a behind-the-scenes machination by the Church of Scientology to take over Clearwater.

"Scientology has no connection to these developers," he said. "This is an incredibly powerful, well-financed and well-experienced team of developers who are working on this, and they're not going to be intimidated by Scientology."

After receiving bids for the development of the two city-owned downtown properties, including the 2.6-acre former Clearwater City Hall site and the 1.43-acre former Harborview events center property, the council chose the development plan submitted by Gotham Property Acquisitions LLC of New York and the Denunzio Group LLC of Florida to transform the properties into a $400 million hotel, apartment and retail project, with the backing of financial services giants Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo and JP Morgan.

"It's (the Bluff Project) going to be a benefit to everybody including the folks who are trying to make a living with these restaurants if we get past that (the presence of the Church of Scientology) and just come downtown and have a wonderful time," Bunker said. "So, I urge everybody to vote 'yes' to Clearwater and we can stand up to David Miscavige (president of Scientology)."

Council member Lina Teixeira said the project is intended to turn around the city's decaying downtown.

"Mayor (Frank) Hibbard has spearheaded quite an ambitious initiative to educate the citizens of Clearwater regarding the referendum and the development of the Bluff and all the logistics and details of it, and I'm personally pleased with the amount of support I have heard," she said.

"However, I'm not naive. Coming freshly out of a campaign, I am aware quite acutely of the various opinions by our citizens regarding downtown — from those who share my passion and tenacity for the revitalization of downtown to those who are apathetic and have given up, and everything in between," Teixeira said.

"But, at the end of the day, when all is said and done, I believe a downtown is the heart of its city," Teixeira said. "And our heart has been sick and it's not been able to nourish its body. I believe that the time has come with this development of the Bluff in conjunction with Imagine Clearwater. We have found the perfect remedy to heal the heart so this city has a downtown that is not only self-sufficient but can contribute to the city. So, I am asking to please consider voting 'yes' for Clearwater on Nov. 8."

Hibbard plans to take another shot at putting rumors to rest about the Bluff Project and convincing residents of its benefits by hosting a final public information session on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort, 1160 Gulf Blvd.

Hibbard will give an overview of the ballot question, discuss the financial aspects of the deal, explain the details of the development project and answer questions.

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