The celebrity-backed Upper West Side Church won’t be razed anytime soon

An Upper West Side congregation that tried to demolish the church building, a Manhattan landmark, and sell the property to a developer — to the consternation of some neighbors, including a growing list of celebrities — has shelved the plans.

The congregation, members of West Park Presbyterian Church, had said for decades that it did not have the money to renovate the crumbling 19th-century Romanesque Revival building. Instead, members were hoping for the property to be sold to a developer was planning to run it in a luxury apartment complex, would help support the church’s broader work, including serving those in need.

But the 19th-century building was declared a monument in 2010. To demolish it, the church needed permission from the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, which members requested in 2022. The request led to an increase in support for preserving the building among supporters, including elected officials. officials, as well as Matt Damon and Mark Ruffalo.

In a letter sent to the commission on Friday, attorneys for the church said it is withdrawing its application to the commission because of a lawsuit over a lease dispute filed by the church against one of its tenants.

The committee was expected to vote on the church’s application on Tuesday. The church said in a statement Friday that it plans to try again when the lawsuit is resolved.

But advocates for preserving the building said they hoped the move could lead to a different future for the building.

“I’m ecstatic,” said Gale Brewer, a council member representing the Upper West Side who helped make the building a landmark despite the council’s objections. She said she hoped the hold could lead to someone else buying the building with the intention of not demolishing it.

The dispute over the church had attracted national attention because of the celebrities who had rallied to preserve the building. In addition to Mr. Ruffalo and Mr. Damon, the actor Wendell Pierce, the comedian Amy Schumer, the rapper Common and others had spoken out in favor of retention. Mr. Ruffalo even cornered Mayor Eric Adams at the Tribeca Film Festival to defend the building.

The church had also become a flashpoint in the debate over the city’s housing crisis. Some advocates for more development said the celebrities and well-connected Upper West Side residents who came to the building’s defense were hindering the housing the city needs.

A housing shortage is one of the main reasons why rents and housing prices in New York City are high.