Attention Richmond, the mother ship is landing – assuming it doesn't get shot down by city building inspectors. The Church of Scientology, a self-help New Age religion created by best-selling science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, is opening a mission in Richmond — Carytown, to be exact. Right across the parking lot from Richmond's own defenders of the faith and purveyors of produce, Ukrop's Super Markets. The city issued building permits Aug. 8 for the property at 3600 W. Cary St., ...

The six-story building that houses the New York headquarters for the Church of Scientology is located on 227 West 46th St., reserving its place amid an ever-bustling, tourist-laden Times Square.Rendering of the new Scientology complex Inside, over 80 staff members work hard on finalizing community service programs for the Church’s most recent real estate purchase: a 50,000-square-foot property on 125th St. in East Harlem. Valued at more than $13 million, the new property is intended to restore Harlem as a center ...

Amidst the controversy over Columbia University's proposed expansion into Harlem, another expansion is occurring with far less protest. The Church of Scientology in Harlem, currently operating out of a storefront space on Third Avenue, recently purchased several buildings on 125th street, where they plan to rebuild and expand the church. Scientology, known for its controversial views and prominent celebrity members, has several churches in Manhattan, the largest of which is here in Times Square. They also have a small church in ...

CLEARWATER — The Church of Scientology is in announcement mode again, this time saying it will spend $20-million on a major upgrade of its iconic Fort Harrison Hotel. But what church officials aren't saying is exactly when the work will start. So, expect some eye rolls. That's because across the street from the Fort Harrison is Scientology's seven-story Super Power building. Stuccoed, trimmed and painted on the outside, the huge building is unfinished and vacant on the inside. And, remarkably, it's ...

The night clubs, shops and lunch spots of downtown Albuquerque are about to get a new neighbor. The Church of Scientology is in the process of purchasing the Gizmo's building at 410 Central SE near Fourth Street, says Gabriel Rivera, a redevelopment planner with City Planning. "From what I've heard, in other places and other cities, [Scientologists] usually locate in the Downtown areas," Rivera says. Local Scientologists confirmed the deal. Plans for the church are extensive, says Beth Akiyama, director of ...

South Loop residents will soon have a new neighbor-the Church of Scientology. The church's new flagship center of Chicago will move next summer into the former Artcraft Building, 650 S. Clark, and become the hub of Scientology-related activities and social services. "It's going to be a beacon of life," said Allyne Rosenthal, president of the Church of Scientology of Illinois. The new center, which was bought by the church in February 2007 for an undisclosed amount, will include office space for ...

In the pantheon of D.C. area weird religious places to go and gawk, you’ve got the George Washington Masonic Memorial, the Oz-like LDS Washington D.C. Temple Visitors’ Center and now L. Ron Hubbard’s house. A bold, swanky sign went up less than a week ago in front of 1812 19th Street NW in Dupont, site of the “founding church” of Scientology that Hubbard set up in 1955. The house belonged to the church until the mid-’70s, when it was sold and ...

The optometrist wants to hear about my most painful memories. This is an auditing session, an important component of a religion called Scientology. The optometrist is the auditor. His name is Steve Sasala. He is skinny. And tall. His face is long and narrow. I can make out the shape of his skull. We sit across from each other, on opposite sides of a tiny desk inside a claustrophobic room at the back of some historic building in Parma Heights. The ...

The church will soon command a higher profile in Harlem. The first thing many subway riders hear as they exit the subway station at 125th Street and Lexington Avenue often is, “Ma’am, do you have stress in your life?” It's an initial hint of one newer brand of religious outreach that continues on street level – and 125th Street in particular has seen its share of street-corner religion, from mainline Protestant denominations to the Nation of Islam. The latest comer is ...

The Church of Scientology has purchased more property on 125th Street, and one of the buyers is listed in city records as Richard Fear. We kid you not. The L. Ron Hubbard-founded religion recently closed on 230 and 232 125th Street for $10.2 million, according to city records. The latter address was formerly the site of the St. Samuel Church of God. In 2003, the Scientologists acquired 220 East 125th Street for $3.45 million. They're currently building a 33,000-square-foot church on ...

It has purchased more spacious quarters on Chestnut Street and plans to expand. Retailers, restaurants and other businesses are flocking to Center City. Now comes another flock. The Church of Scientology last month paid just under $8 million for a vacant 15-story office building and an adjoining one-story former toy store in the heart of downtown: the 1300 block of Chestnut Street — across the street from Macy's and next door to the furniture store Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. The ...

Tessa Mayes is the first reporter to have gone undercover in the London Celebrity Centre of the Church of Scientology. It is, she finds, like a pious version of Pop Idol. The adherents want to be celebrities at least as much as Scientologists ‘A culture is only as great as its dreams and its dreams are dreamed by artists,’ wrote L. Ron Hubbard, who founded the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre in 1969, 15 years after he formed the church itself. ...

The Church of Scientology has purchased the former Science Museum of Minnesota building in downtown St. Paul Eric Rapp, a Welsh Cos. broker who marketed the space, said the church plans a major renovation of the building that once housed exhibits and has since been the home of the failed Minnesota Business Academy. Rapp wouldn't disclose the sale price of the 80,000-square-foot west building of the former museum complex. The sale closed Friday. A number of financial institutions had come to ...

Pasadena – Before work has even started on the Church of Scientology's new complex in Old Pasadena, members have clashed with the city over sidewalk tables used to distribute church literature and sign up passers-by for "stress tests." Eden Stein, president of the Scientologists' Pasadena branch, said Tuesday that a church lawyer has written to City Attorney Michele Beale Bagneris and the Police Department to complain that code-enforcement officials were "out of line" in citing them for using the sidewalk for ...

The controversial Church of Scientology is planning to target students at Scottish universities and colleges in a new recruitment drive. Leaders of the church, which is largely regarded as a cult and believes humans descended from aliens, have revealed they intend to send workers into campuses to seek out impressionable youngsters. Ironically, they believe recent bad publicity after the movement featured on the BBC's Panorama programme has helped attract new converts. Following the programme screening two weeks ago, which featured presenter ...

Hilliker Corp. and Hagen Properties represented Vernon Holliday, Richard Maheu and Neal Josehart in the sale of a 60,000-square-foot institutional building at 2345 Lafayette Avenue, St. Louis, to Church of Scientology of Missouri, represented by St. Louis Premier Realtors Inc. Solon Gershman Inc. represented parties in these leases: 18,311 square feet of office space at 1350 Timberlake Manor Parkway, Timberlake Corporate Center III, Chesterfield, from Franklin Street Properties Corp. to AB Mauri Food Inc. d/b/a Fleischmann's Yeast, represented by Grubb & ...

Lafayette Ron Hubbard wrote a book in 1950 that sold 20 million copies in 50 languages and introduced what is arguably the fastest growing religion on Earth: scientology. Scientology translates to "the study of truth." Scientologists can practice other religions and are asked not to believe anything based solely on faith. "The truth" is what each person discovers to be true, said Mike Klagenberg, Northern California director for the Church of Scientology based in Sacramento. Most people don't know what scientology ...

Dec. 28–The Church of Scientology is eager to move to a new Sacramento address. But 14 months after buying the downtown Ramona building for $4.75 million, with plans of converting it into its new local headquarters, the church has yet to call the movers. "Many things need to get done" before the 77-year-old Ramona is ready to physically accommodate its new owner, church spokesman Mike Klagenberg said last week. The list includes: getting City Hall's permission to begin a planned $3 ...

CLEARWATER - After years of delay, there are visible signs that the Church of Scientology's ambitious plans to expand its downtown campus are again moving forward. Several months ago, cranes began piecing together a four-story, 275-space parking garage at East Avenue and Franklin Street. It is expected to be finished by April. On Tuesday, the Church of Scientology will go before the city's Community Development Board to request a transfer of development rights from the site of its power plant on ...

Scientologists describe their religion as a cathartic journey toward happiness and clarity of mind. Church of Scientology critics call it kooky science fiction disguised as religion. Whatever you believe, the church says it is growing. Although the church's membership remains a much-debated mystery, its land holdings tell the story of a robust organization in the midst of a new chapter of growth. Worldwide, Scientologists say they have bought 21 buildings they plan to turn into churches. Still, some former Scientologists and ...

The church is purchasing a building in St. Petersburg, where it plans to start a new recruiting effort. ST. PETERSBURG — After more than 30 years in Clearwater, the Church of Scientology is making its first significant step toward recruiting members in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg. The church has a contract to purchase a historic 7,000-square-foot building at 336 1st Ave. N, near Williams Park. The sale is not final, but church officials hope it will be by June. ...

Jackson Wyan, a young Tom Cruise look-alike with short black hair and a black button-down shirt, greets people with laser-focused eye contact, a fixed smile and solid handshake at the Founding Church of Scientology of D.C. in Dupont Circle. His mission not-so-impossible: Recruit more members. Would-be Scientologists approach the landmark red building, also known as Fraser Mansion, at 20th and R streets NW, with regularity. Wyan, who's been with the D.C. church six years, gives tours that include a sweep through ...

The Church of Scientology is buying Santa Ana's former Masonic Temple. SANTA ANA - Developer Mike Harrah is selling Santa Ana's historic downtown Masonic Temple, which he spent millions restoring as a performing-arts center, to the Church of Scientology. The sale has drawn the ire of some historic preservationists. The building is one of four that Harrah said he's selling to raise money to build his high-rise tower downtown. Church spokeswoman Marie Murillo said the building is being purchased for an ...

The owner of the former Masonic Temple is negotiating with the Church of Scientology. Proceeds will help fund his 37-story office tower. The developer who bought up and then rebuilt much of Santa Ana's downtown is negotiating to sell one of his prized historic buildings to the Church of Scientology. Mike Harrah spent $11 million to restore the four-story building, which features three theaters with ornate moldings, painted ceilings and enormous candelabra. Reborn as the Santa Ana Performing Arts and Event ...