Scientologists finish apartment renovation project, opens garage

Tampa Bay Business Journal/June 19, 2007

New housing is now available for members of the Church of Scientology's staff after $1.7 million in renovations were completed at Sherwood Gardens, a 106-unit apartment complex located three miles east of downtown Clearwater.

Church executives purchased the apartment complex in 1999 for $4 million, which includes 105,800 square feet of rental unit space on 7.5 acres just off Keene Road. Renovations expanded beyond the units, including planting trees and gardens throughout the property. The re-opening of the apartment complex comes at the same time church executives received a certificate of occupancy for its new 600-space parking garage structure on the corner of Franklin Street and East Avenue in downtown Clearwater. It was built by R.R. Simmons of Tampa to provide parking to church parishioners, officials said. Costs of the structure were not released.

The garage is located a half-block from the church's 380,000-square-foot Flag building, which has been under construction since 1999. The Church expects the building to be completed by 2008.