The Florida city of Clearwater, home to the controversial Church of Scientology’s international headquarters, is undergoing a wave of urban regeneration, but questions remain about the church’s role in this renewal.
New city-funded construction is underway across the downtown area, including a hotel, retail spaces, and a long‑planned bus station, as well as a $31.6m city hall scheduled to open in October.
However, swathes of this area are owned by the Church of Scientology, and despite the organisation’s representatives promising forthcoming “major announcements” about plans to assist with regeneration, city officials reportedly remain largely in the dark.
The church’s influence over Clearwater has grown since 2013, when it moved its spiritual HQ from California to Clearwater, building a $145m 15-storey tower which occupies an entire city block. Since then, the church has continued to make major investments in real estate in the city, now controlling more than 200 properties in downtown Clearwater.
The scale of the church’s portfolio has created friction in the city, particularly because many of the buildings it owns have remained empty despite years of urging from city officials.
“We really are seeing momentum and would love for them to activate the properties,” Mayor Bruce Rector told the Tampa Bay Times.
Two years ago, city staff began publicly questioning why so many Scientology‑linked properties remained unused, suggesting the church convert some street‑level offices into public‑facing businesses. However, little has changed since.
Rector said that if the church opened even a handful of storefronts, it could “make the community feel better about them and their presence”.
Tensions in the city were also heightened when the church attempted to buy one of the streets adjacent to its HQ and close it off to the public to install a private plaza and auditorium – a multimillion-dollar scheme that was eventually dropped in May 2025.
Meanwhile, Clearwater’s own redevelopment efforts are already having an impact. The city’s $84m waterfront overhaul has already delivered a new multi-use amphitheater and revitalized the park. Voter–approved projects also include a hotel with 21,000 square feet of retail space and a new apartment complex with 400 units.
“It’s a big deal,” Rector said. “It’s an opportunity for us to get people living in downtown Clearwater.”
Yet the question of what Scientology intends to do with its holdings continues to hover over the city’s progress. It has been nearly a year since a church representative appeared before the City Council to share a promotional video outlining a vision for Cleveland Street. The church has spent more than $9m renovating four properties along that corridor and has floated plans for a spa and wellness studio, an eyewear boutique and a French bistro. But timelines, tenants and specifics remain elusive.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, all questions about development in Clearwater directed to the church are being routed to a website for the Cleveland Street Alliance, a limited liability company the church uses for its development projects.
Scott Dobbins, the Alliance’s manager, reportedly said “there will be major announcements in the coming weeks and months,” but that it would be “premature” to share details.
City officials remain unconvinced that renovations alone will answer the larger question. “It’s a step in the right direction,” Vice Mayor Lina Teixeira said. “However, I cannot be excited until I see what’s going inside.”
The Church of Scientology’s footprint in Clearwater is backed by enormous financial resources. The organization is believed to hold more than $1.75bn in assets, with around $1.5bn of it tied up in an expansive real estate portfolio.
This includes major hubs in Clearwater and Los Angeles, and it is known for purchasing extensive, often historic, properties to create buffer zones around its facilities.
Its holdings range from urban blocks to sprawling compounds, including a 500‑acre site in Southern California, a 55‑acre campus in England, and a Caribbean cruise ship.
It has an annual revenue of roughly $200m, according to Fortune, generated largely through auditing services and member donations, all while operating as a tax‑exempt religious organization in the U.S.
