The building was built principally to deliver Scientology's Super Power Rundown, a special program intended to train someone to use all of their 57 "perceptics" (senses).

[2] In January 2012, Tony Ortega of the Village Voice published leaked blueprints of the Super Power Building that revealed architectural features including a recreation of a deck on the Apollo, L. Ron Hubbard's flagship in the 1960s.

A fundraising letter sent to Scientologists in March 2002 described the purpose of the project: With the world in such a state of degradation and dismay, the only hope to reverse the dwindling spiral on Earth is to speed the release of Super Power.

These ranged from the starting level, "Flag Supporter" (a $1,000 donation), to the mid-ranking "Master Builder of Merit" ($500,000) and so on up to the "Legion of OT Meritorious" ($7,500,000).

[9] According to a Scientology magazine published in September 2007, Scientologist actress Kirstie Alley was ranked as a "Founding Member" of the project, indicating a $250,000 donation.

[15] Scientologists contributing to the project were given a number of benefits depending on the level of their contributions, including "gold validation pins" and "Super Power rings", "exclusive membership to the Key Contributor Lounge in the new mecca building created specially for these stellar contributors", and fee reductions or priority status for Super Power courses.

The inn had stood empty since being damaged in a 1989 arson fire and the Church of Scientology acquired the land in 1991 after it had been purchased by local property developer Terence J. McCarthy, the owner of T.J.M.

The cost of construction was reported to have more than doubled due to rises in the price of steel and labor,[19] with the Church repeatedly issuing fundraising requests to its members.

[21] The prolonged delay has adversely impacted other proposed developments that intended to capitalize on the promised increased economic activity from Scientologists visiting Clearwater.

[25] Church officials have offered no public explanation of the delays other than "a recurring need to revise interior design schemes in an effort to get it just right.

[3] In September 2009, Church spokesperson Peter Mansell estimated the Super Power Building would be ready for occupancy by fall of 2010.

The Church sought to seek a reduction in the fine assessed by the city at the Code Enforcement Board's July or August meeting.

In August 2013 the Church disclosed that it was planning to open the building on October 6, 2013, with a dedication ceremony expected to draw in an estimated 10,000 Scientologists in attendance.

[29] Only a month later, however, the Church told city authorities that it had decided to cancel the ceremony and postpone the opening of the building to an unspecified date, for undisclosed reasons.

[30] The building was finally opened on November 17, 2013,[31] with Scientologist stars such as Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Kelly Preston in attendance for a ceremony presided over by Scientology leader David Miscavige.

"[35] In 2006, the St. Petersburg Times reported that Scientologist Matt Feshbach, a multimillion-dollar donor who was one of the few who had done Super Power, felt that he now "senses danger faster than most people ... appreciates beauty more deeply than he used to ... [and] outperforms his peers in the money management industry".

The 57 "perceptics" (senses) addressed by the rundown are: Time, Sight; Taste, Color, Depth; Solidity (barriers); Relative sizes (external); Sound; Pitch; Tone; Volume; Rhythm; Smell; Touch (pressure, friction, heat or cold and oiliness); Personal emotion; Endocrine states; Awareness of awareness; Personal size; Organic sensation (including hunger); Heartbeat; Blood circulation; Cellular and bacterial position; Gravitic (self and other weights); Motion of self; Motion (exterior); Body position; Joint position; Internal temperature; External temperature; Balance; Muscular tension; Saline content of self (body); Fields/magnetic; Time track motion; Physical energy (personal weariness, etc.

[36] The machines would include such things as an antigravity simulator, a gyroscope-like apparatus that spins a person around while blindfolded to improve perception of compass direction, and a video screen that moves forward and backward while flashing images to hone a viewer's ability to identify subliminal messages.

"[37]: 191 Leaked blueprints of the building's interior showed facilities such as a "time machine", an "oiliness table",[6] a "pain station"[38] and an "infinite pit".

[39] Scientologists undergoing Super Power training in the building would be "spun on a gyroscope-like wheel, spend time in a sound chamber, sniff vials emitting fragrances and experience changes in gravitational pull.