Last May the Church of Scientology purchased the V.M. Ybor Cigar Factory, better known as Ybor Square, for approximately $7 million. The only two tenants that remain in the Square now are the longtime popular Italian food eatery Spaghetti Warehouse, and CL, which resides directly upstairs from the restaurant in what is known as the old Warehouse Building. Yes, that means CL is now cutting our rent checks to the church. On Sunday, more than 2,000 people converged at Ybor to see church leader David Miscavige cut a gigantic ribbon at a ceremony officially welcoming themselves into the facility.
The Church is occupying two of the three buildings that make up Ybor Square. Church officials said last year that there would be approximately 120 employees working in their offices during the week, and a separate staff of 100 on weekends.
She said she originally was critical of Scientology because her home city "has basically fallen apart because of their presence there. No one wants to go into downtown." She says she has continued to protest after the church started "Fair Gaming" her, a policy that critics say is a systematic way of going after their critics. However, members of the church have denied such a policy exists, but do say that they can use the same legal tools as anybody else to defend themselves.
