If you go to downtown Clearwater, you can´t miss it. Rising a stately 150 feet into the air, the uppermost tower of the Church of Scientology´s newest bit of construction dominates the skyline of downtown Clearwater like a minaret of Mecca. At least, that seems to be the idea. Travelers down Fort Harrison cannot fail to notice the massive new building, which is nicknamed ¨Super Power¨ and boasts almost 900 rooms in its 380,000 square feet of space. One arm of the building stretches across the road in an elevated walkway that pierces the heart of the old Fort Harrison Hotel. The structure is designed in a sunny, Mediterranean revival style, but the rest of downtown Clearwater sits in its shadow.
The Flag Building, 215 S. Fort Harrison, Clearwater.
This article appears in Sep 22-28, 2004.