As a former staff member there, it's just embarrassing.
The reason they haven't sold the building probably has nothing to do with the state of the market
(per a recent thing from OC org about why their new ideal org building isn't renovated), but rather how ratty and worn the existing premises are. Haven't they seen any shows on HGTV about staging a house?
I first started on staff when it was a mission (around 30 staff), then took three years off, then came back after it became an org. At that point, it had around 45 staff; over the next 5 years, it grew to 250 staff. I didn't count names on the OIC board (outside Ethics reception, not far from where the OIC board was in the 70s and 80s), but it seemed like there were, once again, around 45 staff.
However, when the mission and early org were that staff size, they rented out half the premises. I didn't walk around the entire org (only three of the five buildings), but it seemed like Scientology's using the whole premises. About half the staff I saw were Sea Org. I saw no one that seemed to be public, but I'd expect them to be on course or in session at that hour, typically.
When I walked in the entrance nearest Div 6 reception, two people were standing there and one nicely asked what I needed and led me to HCO reception. I said I didn't know if I was declared a suppressive person, I'd emailed ahead of time (by a day), and I was coming in to find out my status. You think this might make them unfriendly, but it didn't. After all, one of the steps to being recovered is paying $BIGBUCKS and there I was on Thursday morning, almost as if I knew that stats were collected on Thursday at 2 and they could use the income. (To be clear, I have no intention of re-joining the CofS. I was curious based on Marty's recent posts about OC and I'd never actually found out if I had been declared SP and I was curious. I also live several hundred miles away and happened to be in town.)
So we got led to Ethics reception. Unfortunately, the Ethics Officer was busy, so we had to wait in the special ethics reception (yes, so far I've been in the proximity of three reception areas within a span of 10 minutes. Such is Scientology -- everyone's busy sending people places to wait.)
Someone popped in, looked at me, did a double-take and said, "You're...." As soon as I heard the voice, I recognized her. She's aged 20 years since I've seen her, and her hair had gone from jet black to light grey, but I had worked with her for 8 years, just not closely.
"Deirdre."
"Wow, I haven't seen you in a long time." So we chat for a while. She talks about the Golden Age of Knowledge and brings out a Basics promo pack with two DVDs, which I took with me. I explain that I'm just there to review my status, which is true.
The double-take then re-introduction is repeated twice again with other people, the final person being the ED, Ed Dearborn, who was the FSM I/C when I was there.
The Ethics Officer came out, she was a cute 20-something, obviously someone I'd never met except perhaps in infancy, and was very polite. She hadn't gotten my email (ironic). I wrote down my name. She went away for a loooooooong time (30-45 minutes, it seemed like).
"Your ethics file is not here." That must have saved 2-3" in a filing cabinet.
"There is, however, a note that you were declared, but I don't have a copy." Later, I thought: they aren't cleared for my level of suppression. Probably literally. (My interpretation is that I was declared at the Int level based on my ARS posts in 1994-95, thus the local org didn't have the information.)
Still, it really was worth it to see it with my own eyes: despite the claims of expansion, I don't see it, and the decline is so long and so slow, they probably don't either.
To clarify something on another thread: the water disconnect notice was stuck into a nook in the plywood on the outside of the building and wasn't in an envelope. Initially, I assumed it was some kind of flyer since the building had been a performing arts center before. I was as surprised as anyone when I saw the contents. Yes, we put the notice back.
Deirdre