Scientology-Linked Developers Face Downtown Questions

Clearwater city leaders used a May 28 work session to press Scientology-linked developers on who is behind a fast-moving redevelopment push in the city’s downtown and what, exactly, residents should expect next. The forum at the Main Library brought together City Council members, residents, Church of Scientology parishioners and representatives of the Cleveland Street Alliance, the development group tied to projects along Cleveland Street. City officials said roughly $350 million in redevelopment has been proposed downtown, including renovations to long-vacant buildings and a large entertainment complex. Residents and council members repeatedly returned to the same themes: ownership, timing, traffic, infrastructure and whether the public is hearing about firm plans or still-speculative concepts. ### Who was answering the city’s questions? Scott Dobbins, founder and principal of Highbridge Commercial Real Estate, told the council that the Cleveland Street Alliance is driving the revitalization effort along the corridor. Spectrum Bay News 9 reported that Dobbins led part of the presentation and described a “bold, unified vision” for rebuilding Cleveland Street. FOX 13 reported that he also sought to answer concerns about secrecy, telling the audience, “We’re not here to hide.” (fox13news.com) The Cleveland Street Alliance has been described by local outlets and public officials as an entity associated with the Church of Scientology and used for downtown development. Tampa Bay Beacons reported that the alliance formed in 2022 and that council members had asked for the special session after saying residents were receiving publicity about projects before city approvals were in place. (baynews9.com) ### How big is the redevelopment plan on Cleveland Street? Nine properties along Cleveland Street between Osceola and Myrtle avenues are being renovated or are expected to be renovated, according to Spectrum Bay News 9’s account of the work session. The outlet said completed historic renovations include the Peoples Bank building at 432 Cleveland, the F.W. Woolworth Co. building at 519 Cleveland and the Telephone Building at 534 Cleveland. It also reported that work on the Brown Brothers Building at 615-621 Cleveland and nearby addresses 623, 629, 635, 639 and 645 Cleveland is expected to finish later in 2026 or in 2027. (tampabaybeacons.com) Michael Mannino, the Clearwater council member who requested the meeting, said the city was seeing “nearly $100 million in investment on Cleveland Street.” Bay News 9 separately reported that the alliance told council the broader district could generate $200 million in private investment. ### What is the entertainment project everyone kept asking about? An 83,000-square-foot EVO Entertainment complex at Cleveland Street and Myrtle Avenue has become the most visible single proposal in the redevelopment push. (baynews9.com) Cleveland Street Alliance and EVO materials described the project as a roughly $50 million private investment with seven movie screens, bowling, arcade gaming, laser tag, dining and a screen more than 130 feet wide. WUSF reported in April that a demolition permit request had been submitted to the city for the current building on the site. Tampa Bay Beacons reported on May 13 that Scientology had submitted requests to obtain portions of two streets, an alleyway and a city-owned parcel tied to the entertainment complex, and that the application said the development could not proceed without those approvals. That reporting helps explain why council members said they wanted the project discussed in public before residents assumed it was final. (clevelandstreetalliance.com) ### Why were council members still saying they lacked basic details? Mayor Bruce Rector said in mid-May that the theater proposal had put council members “in a difficult spot” because residents were asking questions the city could not yet answer. Tampa Bay Beacons quoted Rector as saying, “We’re certainly, because of all the publicity, getting a lot of questions from the community about it, and we just don’t know.” Council member Lina Teixeira said the public messaging around the theater suggested “a level of certainty that just isn’t there.” (tampabaybeacons.com) Mike Mannino framed the May 28 session as an attempt to move that discussion into public view. WTSP quoted him before the meeting as saying, “This is about bringing clarity,” while FOX 13 reported that he asked developers during the session, “Why today, what’s changed?” ### What are residents worried about beyond the buildings themselves? (tampabaybeacons.com) Pinellas County residents had already raised concerns in an earlier May forum about control of downtown land as government properties come up for redevelopment. WUSF reported on May 2 that county-owned parcels totaling about 24.5 acres were being prepared for redevelopment and that several speakers urged officials not to sell them outright because of Scientology’s large footprint downtown. (wtsp.com) Those concerns carried into the Clearwater work session, where officials said the discussion was not only about storefronts and renderings but also about traffic, public infrastructure, road vacations and the identity of the entities seeking approvals. WTSP reported that more than 40 permits were in play for demolition and construction tied to the projects. (wusf.org) ### What happens next, and where can residents track it? The City of Clearwater said council work sessions are held at the Main Library at 100 N. Osceola Ave., and the city posts agendas, records and meeting videos through its meeting pages. City calendars and meeting records are available online, where residents can follow future council discussion of downtown redevelopment, street-vacation requests and any development agreements tied to the Cleveland Street corridor. (myclearwater.com) (wtsp.com)