Downtown Clearwater surplus properties

Speaking for a group of four, argued declaring the buildings surplus starts an irreversible sale and urged a ground-lease structure that guarantees public activation of downtown parcels.

A licensed realtor who walked through the math showing a sale nets only about $50 million, and presented a ground-lease/revenue-anticipation-note alternative worth $280-330 million in present value.

A young Clearwater resident quoted the November 13, 2025 meeting where the administrator promised a lease-versus-sale comparison, and asked the commission to require a lease study before deciding.

Detailed Scientology's history in Clearwater and its pattern of paying above market for real estate, warning that an outright sale would hand the parcels to the organization.