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Scientology Center Planned for Downtown Detroit

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Scientology Center Planned for Downtown Detroit.

HT - WWP: https://whyweprotest.net/threads/de...order-of-the-people.89344/page-2#post-2534520
and following posts.

Confirmed: Flashy Scientology Center Planned Downtown - Scientology Signage | Curbed Detroit

http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2015/05/confirmed-flashy-scientology-center-planned-downtown.php

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By Paul Beshouri, May 14, 2015

It's true: The Church of Scientology is working to transform the Standard Savings Building — a neoclassical nugget overlooking Hart Plaza — into the organization's first location in downtown Detroit.

At Wednesday's Historic District Commission (HDC) hearing, a representative from Gensler Architects (they handle Scientology remods nationwide, apparently) revealed grand plans to rehab the vacant building, which — from the outside, at least — represents more of a Scientology-themed bedazzling.

The proposed changes:

1. Swap the rooftop Raymond James sign/stock ticker for a giant SCIENTOLOGY sign
2. Install a vertical SCIENTOLOGY sign above the exterior clock
3. Slap a large, vertical cross above the front door
4. Stack a bunch HVAC equipment on the roof
5. Roof deck! And a railing, of course

The commission was not happy with the plan for several reasons, mostly rooftop stuff. Between the signage, the tall stack of air conditioners roof deck railing, the design could end up looking (at least from some angles) like an ugly new haircut. For a limestone building sculpted by Detroit's Corrado Parducci in 1930, that's not gonna fly. The plan was tabled until a meeting later this month. Interior plans were also mentioned, including the restoration of floors 1 and 2 to their original appearance. That included restoring a "grand staircase" and a long-lost mezzanine.

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CBS Detroit: Report: Scientology Is Creating A Headquarters In Downtown Detroit

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2015/05...-creating-a-headquarters-in-downtown-detroit/

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By Christy Strawser

DETROIT (CBS Detroit) Detroiters have a reputation for a salt of the earth attitude and working class sensibilities, so where does Scientology, a religion founded by a science fiction author, fit into that?

It’s unclear. But curbed Detroit is reporting the Church of Scientology is working to transform the Standard Savings Building, which overlooks Hart Plaza, into its first location in downtown Detroit.

The location is interesting because Standard Savings sits on the location of the first church in Detroit, which was founded in July, 1701. The Standard Savings building there now at Griswold and West Jefferson was constructed in 1930. The bank moved to Troy in the 1973, and Raymond James later took over offices inside.

The Church of Scientology quietly bought it in 2007, leaving it vacant and remaining silent on any plans for its future.

But this week a plan to replace the Raymond James sign with one for Scientology and make various other changes, including the addition of a roof deck, was presented to the Detroit Historic Commission. It was tabled until a later date.

Why would Scientology want to move into Detroit? The church has locations in 25 states, including two sites already in Michigan. The church is in a new era of worldwide expansion, per its website.

“New Ideal Organizations now regularly open their doors, with many others … on the horizon, as Scientologists rally in support of a global Ideal Churches movement to serve their communities long into the future,” the site says.

Scientology is in the spotlight after HBO’s “Going Clear” became one of its most-watched documentaries of the last decade.

Scientology is strange, viewers discovered, with proponents believing invisible aliens cling to the skin of people holding in negative emotions, and that electromagnetic “audits” can clear past memories of pain.

It’s embraced by some heavyweights, especially in Los Angeles where its tenets are held close by celebrities Kirstie Alley, Tom Cruise and John Travolta.

That’s apparently how it can afford a real estate empire worth an estimated $400 million in Los Angeles alone, per the Hollywood Reporter.

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Detroit Free Press: Scientology sign proposed atop downtown building

http://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...015/05/14/scientology-sign-downtown/27322693/

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The Church of Scientology is ready to show a much more visible presence in downtown Detroit.

The church wants to install a giant "Scientology" sign atop the historic Standard Savings Building at the corner of Griswold Street and West Jefferson Avenue, across the street from Hart Plaza.

Plans for the sign and other changes the church wants to make to the eight-and-a-half story neoclassical office building were proposed on Wednesday to the Detroit Historic District Commission, which oversees changes to the city's historic buildings.

The plans, first reported by Curbed Detroit, were not approved at Wednesday's meeting.

"The application was tabled to give the applicant more time to refine their proposal, especially in regards to the rooftop elements," commission chairman Devan Anderson wrote in an e-mail.

A "Raymond James" sign is now on top of the building, an indication of the building's previous owner, Raymond James Financial. The Church of Scientology of Michigan bought the building in 2007 for $3.5 million, according to city of Detroit property assessment records.

Scientology is a religion founded by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, and its adherents include actors Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Kirstie Alley. The organization has been the subject of critical news reporting and an HBO documentary, "Going Clear," that featured interviews with former Scientology insiders who allege abuse and betrayal by church leaders.

Representatives of the church didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment this afternoon.

The building, built in 1930, is part of the Historic Detroit Financial District.

"Originally built for the Standard Savings Bank, this building stands on a historic site documented by a historical marker as the site of Detroit's founding and the location of the first Ste. Anne's Church in 1701 — the city and Detroit's oldest church both founded by French explorer Antoine Cadillac," according to a Historic District Commission staff report.

Rooftop signs are uncommon in the financial district, the report reads, but a precedent has been set with the existing "Raymond James" sign.

In addition to the new rooftop sign, the church wants to build a vertical sign that also reads "Scientology" above an existing clock on the building's southeast corner.

Gensler, an international design firm, presented the church's plans to the Historic District Commission. Gensler spokeswoman Julie Obiala said she was not permitted to talk about the project and referred questions to the church.

The church's website lists Detroit as one of more than 30 cities internationally where it plans to build or renovate new church facilities. The site doesn't specify the exact location in Detroit.

Contact Joe Guillen: 313-222-6678 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @joeguillen.

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CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
WXYZ Detroit: Church of Scientology seeks Detroit's approval for downtown expansion

http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/det...eeks-detroits-approval-for-downtown-expansion

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DETROIT (WXYZ) - The Church of Scientology plans to expand all over the world, but their plans for Detroit still need the city's blessing.

In the new HBO documentary "Going Clear", the church is examined down to it's origins, famous supporters, and critics.

Now, more Detroiters are also taking an interest, after plans for a new Scientology Church at Jefferson and Griswold recently became public.

"It sounds like a good thing for Downtown," says Tobias Pratt, who works in the city.

But others criticized the planned signage and other new rooftop updates in the works for one of the most historic buildings downtown.

The building was bought in 2007 for $3.5 million and the church still needs a go ahead from the Detroit Historic District Commission for updates.

The city will review plans and take up this issue later this month. So far, the church hasn't replied to our request for comment. We'll bring you the latest news as it breaks.


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oneonewasaracecar

Gold Meritorious Patron
Detroit is a pretty depressed area. Land there is dirt cheap.

Not sure what the strategy is here.

They are not going to get public in obviously, but even if they could, they don't have much to donate.

Seems to me they are hoping to buy for cheap and hope it appreciates or this is just there to convince those few in, maybe the whales, that they are expanding.
 

Jump

Operating teatime

Whatever Captain David Miscavige tries to do, that involves public decision making and reporting, will bring Alex Gibney's documentary 'Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief' into the discussion.

More publicity, more viewers, fewer controllable dupes, more scotch being spilled at Co$ HQ.

 

cleared cannibal

Silver Meritorious Patron
Detroit is a pretty depressed area. Land there is dirt cheap.

Not sure what the strategy is here.

They are not going to get public in obviously, but even if they could, they don't have much to donate.

Seems to me they are hoping to buy for cheap and hope it appreciates or this is just there to convince those few in, maybe the whales, that they are expanding.

Pretty depressed is putting it mildly, I would be suprised if they paid anything for their property.


http://zfein.com/photography/detroit/

http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2011/02/07/captured-the-ruins-of-detroit/2672/
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Detroit News: Decision on Scientology sign for Detroit site postponed

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...ogy-church-seeks-sign-downtown-site/27353763/

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The Church of Scientology is scheduled to return to the Detroit Historic Commission at the end of the month with its request for approval of a sign atop a vacant building across from Hart Plaza.

Church officials want to install a Scientology sign on the Standard Savings Building, last occupied by the Raymond James investment company.

It also wants to put a vertical Scientology sign on the side of the building, a vertical cross above the front door, a roof deck and 12-foot screening walls for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment on the roof, commission chairman Devan Anderson said.

The application was tabled Wednesday by the Detroit Historic District Commission, which asked church officials and Gensler Architects to examine alternatives, Anderson said.

Anderson said the commission didn't have a big problem with the signage, noting that the building currently displays a large "Raymond James" sign. The Scientology sign would use the same infrastructure and essentially replace the existing sign.

Rather, the main concerns are with rooftop logistics, including the placement of proposed mechanical screening and a railing that could have "a detrimental impact on the appearance of the building," he said.

"We asked them to take a little more time ... to look at why they were proposing what they were proposing," Anderson said. "It looked like there were other options."

A Gensler representative has referred questions to the church, which bought the vacant, eight-story building at Griswold and West Jefferson for $3.5 million in 2008 to establish its Michigan headquarters.

In an email early Friday, officials with the Los Angeles-based church said: "The acquisition of this historic and beautiful property is part of the Church's program to establish Ideal Churches of Scientology around the world. ... Several more of our Churches are scheduled to be opened within the coming months as they have construction schedules well in progress.

"This is a moment of great anticipation and tremendous excitement for the staff, volunteers and parishioners. The Church in Detroit is on this same launch pad. And in fact designs for this building are well in progress now."

Anderson noted the commission's request Wednesday should not prevent work from beginning inside the building.

The church said its Detroit arm acquired the 49,947-square-foot building with money raised by the local congregation. Its website lists Detroit as among the cities in the U.S. where "new properties in planning or construction stage" were projected to open last year or in 2015.

Initial plans for the site after it was bought in 2008 included a chapel, lecture rooms and meeting space for the church's community service programs.

The church, which counts actors Tom Cruise and John Travolta as members, said at the time it would relocate most of its operations from Farmington Hills.

Church officials said at the time the expansion was a response to increased demand and to help meet the needs of area church members.

According to the website, since the first church formed in 1954, "more than 10,000 Scientology Churches, missions, related organizations and affiliated groups minister to millions in 165 countries."

The commission has to decide whether to approve or deny the application within 60 days.

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CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Scientology to spend $8 million to renovate its vacant downtown Detroit buiding

Church of Scientology to spend $8 million to renovate its vacant downtown Detroit building.

While there are a now a number of stories on the subject, this is the first, best, and the one the others are based on.

Crain's Detroit Business: Church of Scientology to spend $8 million to renovate its vacant downtown Detroit building

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/articl...ogy-to-spend-8-million-to-renovate-its-vacant

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Church of Scientology to spend $8 million to renovate its vacant downtown Detroit building.

By KIRK PINHO [KIRK PINHO TWITTER]

dkbv0at.jpg


The Church of Scientology has owned the former Standard Savings & Loan building in downtown Detroit for a decade but has done nothing with it. That's about to change.

The Los Angeles-based church has been issued a building permit for $8 million worth of work to the 50,000-square-foot building at the corner of Griswold Street and Jefferson Avenue.

The permit was issued Monday and calls for interior and exterior renovations, according to online city records. The contractor is Sterling Heights-based Roncelli Inc.

"The building will house the Church of Scientology of Detroit and is part of the Church's international program to service its parishioners in 'ideal' Churches," Karin Pouw, international spokeswoman for the church, said in an email to Crain's on Wednesday.

"The Church will have a chapel, rooms for parishioners to study the religion and public areas for community meetings and activities."

Construction work will start "soon," Pouw said.

She added that the church has expanded more in the last decade than it had in the previous 50 years combined.

"In the last year alone, we have opened new churches in Copenhagen, Miami, San Fernando Valley, Auckland, Budapest, Sydney, San Diego and Harlem, adding to the more than 50 new churches opened in recent years."

The Southfield office of Los Angeles-based CBRE Inc. is listing the church's 15,100-square-foot Farmington Hills building at 28000 Middlebelt Rd. for sale for $1.5 million.

The staff of the Farmington Hills building will form the core of the staff at the new Detroit building, Pouw said.

The 50,000-square-foot downtown building was built in 1930 and was home to Standard Savings bank. Its most recent tenant was Raymond James, whose sign still adorns the nine-story building's roof.

The church proposed removing that sign and replacing it with a Church of Scientology sign, but that proposal was scuttled by Detroit City Council.

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HelluvaHoax!

Platinum Meritorious Sponsor with bells on
..

EDITORIAL NOTATIONS:

THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED BY DON HUBBARD, PURSUANT TO SOMEONE WRITING HIM A VERY UNHAPPY PM, THINKING HE WAS UNNECESSARILY SLAMMING THE WRONG TARGET.

BECAUSE TODAYS CULTURE CAN BE HYPER SENSITIVE TO PERCEIVED (WHETHER ACTUAL OR NOT) "AGGRESSIONS" OR "MICRO AGGRESSIONS", DON REMOVED THE OFFENDING WORDS. THEY WERE NOT SLANG NOR WERE THEY PEJORATIVE IN ANY SENSE. BUT THE WORDS WERE NONETHELESS PERCEIVED AS UNFAIRLY CRITICAL OR VICTIMIZING CERTAIN PERSONS OR GROUPS.

SO, DON HAS REMOVED THOSE WORDS, WHICH DOESN"T REALLY CHANGE THE POST, BUT AT LEAST IT CHANGES THE PERCEPTION OF THE POST FOR THE OFFENDED INDIVIDUAL.

DON MENTIONED TO ME THAT GROWING UP IN PROFOUNDLY MIXED SOCIETAL, CULTURAL, ETHNIC AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENTS, IT NEVER OCCURRED TO DON (OR THOSE WHO LIVED LIKEWISE) THAT SPEAKING IN VERNACULAR COULD BE DEEMED OFFENSiVE.

WELL IT'S 2017 AND DON HAS OTHER PRIORITIES THAN INADVERTENTLY OFFENDING READERS WHEN NO OFFENSE WAS EVER EVEN INTENDED.

IF ANYONE ELSE NEEDS THIS POST CHANGED FURTHER, LET ME KNOW AND I'LL SEND IT UPLINES TO DON HUBBARD WITH A CSW REQUESTING FURTHER EDITS.

best!
hh

--------------------------------

I guess since Detroit is one of the most impoverished and violent cities in the Western Hemisphere, with 83% xxxxxxxxxxxx who have an average per capital weekly income of $289, this is a great location to seek COS customers who have an expendable, extra $500,000 throwaway dollars to buy a "bridge".

Add to that, in Detroit 93% of the public school graduates are NOT PROFICIENT in reading. And you are going to try and sell them 10 million words of Hubbard's pseudo-scientific ranting? How many are even capable of clearing the word "daguerreotype" on the Student Hat in a culture dominated by profound illiteracy?

On the brighter side, 96% of public school graduates in Detroit are NOT PROFICIENT in math. This, Scientology management predicts, will become incredibly helpful in reg cycles where fast talking cult salesmen explain the math of how easily the prospect's income will rise in order to pay all of the new debt service to bank loans and maxed out charge cards.



DIALOGUE OMITTED BELOW


REGISTRAR
xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx


PROSPECT
xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx

PREDICTION: Detroit will become the biggest fail in the history of the the massively failed Ideal Org program. Because the last thing in the world this beleaguered xxxxxxxxxx ecosystem needs is yet another invasion wave of vampiric predatorial parasites to sell them out and steal what precious little hope and money they have left.
 
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CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
VIDEO: Church of Scientology moving to downtown Detroit

[video=youtube;4ajkODQSgeI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ajkODQSgeI[/video]

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Church of Scientology moving downtown

WXYZ-TV Detroit | Channel 7

Published on Jul 19, 2017

Church of Scientology moving downtown

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ILove2Lurk

Lisbeth Salander
. . .
They've appointed a new ED who
says he'll straighten
out all this s**t as soon as he returns from his leave
of absence. Should be out, I mean back, very soon.

suge-knight.jpg
:wink2:

 
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skep

Patron with Honors
..

EDITORIAL NOTATIONS:

THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED BY DON HUBBARD, PURSUANT TO SOMEONE WRITING HIM A VERY UNHAPPY PM, THINKING HE WAS UNNECESSARILY SLAMMING THE WRONG TARGET.

BECAUSE TODAYS CULTURE CAN BE HYPER SENSITIVE TO PERCEIVED (WHETHER ACTUAL OR NOT) "AGGRESSIONS" OR "MICRO AGGRESSIONS", DON REMOVED THE OFFENDING WORDS. THEY WERE NOT SLANG NOR WHERE THEY PEJORATIVE IN ANY SENSE. BUT THE WORDS WERE NONETHELESS PERCEIVED AS UNFAIRLY CRITICAL OR VICTIMIZING CERTAIN PERSONS OR GROUPS.

SO, DON HAS REMOVED THOSE WORDS, WHICH DOESN"T REALLY CHANGE THE POST, BUT AT LEAST IT CHANGES THE PERCEPTION OF THE POST FOR THE OFFENDED INDIVIDUAL.

DON MENTIONED TO ME THAT GROWING UP IN PROFOUNDLY MIXED SOCIETAL, CULTURAL, ETHNIC AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENTS, IT NEVER OCCURRED TO DON (OR THOSE WHO LIVED LIKEWISE) THAT SPEAKING IN VERNACULAR COULD BE DEEMED OFFENSiVE.

WELL IT'S 2017 AND DON HAS OTHER PRIORITIES THAN INADVERTENTLY OFFENDING READERS WHEN NO OFFENSE WAS EVER EVEN INTENDED.

IF ANYONE ELSE NEEDS THIS POST CHANGED FURTHER, LET ME KNOW AND I'LL SEND IT UPLINES TO DON HUBBARD WITH A CSW REQUESTING FURTHER EDITS.

best!
hh

--------------------------------

I guess since Detroit is one of the impoverished and violent cities in the Western Hemisphere, with 83% xxxxxxxxxxxx who have an average per capital weekly income of $289, this is a great location to seek COS customers who have an expendable, extra $500,000 throwaway dollars to buy a "bridge".

Add to that, in Detroit 93% of the public school graduates are NOT PROFICIENT in reading. And you are going to try and sell them 10 million words of Hubbard's pseudo-scientific ranting? How many are even capable of clearing the word "daguerreotype" on the Student Hat in a culture dominated by profound illiteracy?

On the brighter side, 96% of public school graduates in Detroit are NOT PROFICIENT in math. This, Scientology management predicts, will become incredibly helpful in reg cycles where fast talking cult salesmen explain the math of how easily the prospect's income will rise in order to pay all of the new debt service to bank loans and maxed out charge cards.



DIALOGUE OMITTED BELOW


REGISTRAR
xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx


PROSPECT
xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx

PREDICTION: Detroit will become the biggest fail in the history of the the massively failed Ideal Org program. Because the last thing in the world this beleaguered xxxxxxxxxx ecosystem needs is yet another invasion wave of vampiric predatorial parasites to sell them out and steal what precious little hope and money they have left.

Seriously, some one got triggered? Tell them to grow a pair if they're a male, or to harden the fuck up if female, and STFU if gender confused. Jesus I can't stand political correctness.
 

ThetanExterior

Gold Meritorious Patron
Karin Pouw said: "The church has expanded more in the last decade than it had in the previous 50 years combined".

I think it's about time the media pointed out that this refers to buildings and not membership. Or they could at least question the CoS as to what they mean by "expansion".
 

HelluvaHoax!

Platinum Meritorious Sponsor with bells on
Karin Pouw said: "The church has expanded more in the last decade than it had in the previous 50 years combined".

I think it's about time the media pointed out that this refers to buildings and not membership. Or they could at least question the CoS as to what they mean by "expansion".


There's something about that endlessly repeated quote that makes me think it's going to end up on the Stupid Thread.

It's as if they think this "proves" that scientology works. Because "unprecedented" numbers of people are coming in.

This means agreement.

Agreement means Reality.

So, they can't simply prove the tech works by SHOWING it work? Instead they prove the tech works by........................lying about the size of their congregation?! LOL

I am sensing there may be an outpoint in there somewhere......
 

Churchill

Gold Meritorious Patron
. . .
They've appointed a new ED who
says he'll straighten
out all this s**t as soon as he returns from his leave
of absence. Should be out, I mean back, very soon.

View attachment 13683
:wink2:


Kwame Kilpatrick is a self-made millionaire, despite your cheap attempt to denigrate him, and, by the way, in neighboring Flint, efforts are already well underway to replace the crime and abject poverty with happiness, which most people agree is a lot better.

Here's the REAL story: http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2014/08/could_scientology_help_save_fl.html

And if you still remain unconvinced, there's this gem: http://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...me-kilpatrick-petition-obama-pardon/93056234/


(best line)
"This is yet another extremely intelligent black man that we are going to allow to rot away in
prison"


(to which I'd just add)
"We're Scientology, bringing happiness to a town near you, just like we did in Venezuela." :yes::yes:
 
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