Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Church of Scientology opens new center
Coconut Grove facility is part of religion’s international growth
A ribbon cutting for a religious organization rarely generates much media attention. But Saturday’s opening celebration of a massive new Church of Scientology center in Coconut Grove was an exception.
Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado was among the 2,000 invitation-only guests at the 50,000-square-foot facility. Also in the crowd were former U.S. Rep. Lincoln Díaz-Balart and David Miscavige, Scientology’s polarizing ecclesiastical leader, who has been accused of using physical violence against some of the church’s members.
Regalado says the church approached him several months ago with plans for the building, which were approved for meeting all zoning requirements.
“They offered to do volunteer projects that would benefit the city,” Regalado says. “It’s a beautiful building and it’s a huge investment. I was also informed that through their foundation, they are helping dissidents in Cuba.”
The Church of Scientology is protected by the U.S. Constitution and is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a nonprofit institution, Regalado said.
The Miami Herald and other local media were not invited to the opening. Erin Banks, public affairs representative for the Church of Scientology, said it’s standard practice for parishioners to get a first look at new churches.
The four-story building (plus another three levels of covered parking) at 2200 S. Dixie Highway was purchased by the church in 2012 for $7 million and completely renovated for another $8 million. The facility, redesigned by the architectural firm Gensler, features a state-of-the-art chapel, multimedia interactive booths, counseling rooms and a café.
The new center is part of an international expansion, following recent church openings in Auckland and Tokyo, among other cities. “We’ve experienced a bigger growth in the past 10 years than in the previous 50 years combined,” Banks said. “That expansion warranted a new facility in Miami.”
The new building joins the existing Church of Scientology in Florida, which was established in 1957 at 120 Giralda Ave. in Coral Gables. Scientology spokesperson Nick Banks said the church’s parishioner base in Miami is “upwards of 10,000.” One count by the American Religious Identification Survey pegs the U.S. total at 25,000.
Erin Banks says the new building will be open seven days a week and use a staff of 165 church volunteers, who will receive a monetary compensation for their service.
Scientology was founded in 1952 by L. Ron Hubbard, a writer of science-fiction novels who melded spirituality and technology into a belief system that relied on scientific principles to guide its followers.