The former site of one of Manhattan\u2019s most iconic (and infamous) nightclub is getting a members-only rebrand.<\/p>\n
Exclusive, London-based private club Maison Estelle<\/a> has leased roughly 30,000 square feet inside the Church of the Holy Communion, a deconsecrated 19th-century church at the corner of West 20th Street and Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan\u2019s Flatiron District, Commercial Observer has learned.\u00a0<\/p>\n SEE ALSO: Qube Inks 52K-SF Deal at Related and Oxford\u2019s 70 Hudson Yards Development<\/a><\/p>\n The new deal at 656 Avenue of the Americas represents the first stateside location of Maison Estelle\u2019s parent company, Estelle Community<\/a>. Founded by entrepreneur Sharan Pasricha, the company\u2019s trio of U.K. clubs are well known for their exclusivity, no-photos policy and estimated annual dues around $4,000.\u00a0<\/p>\n Estelle\u2019s decision to lease out the church\u2019s lofty main sanctuary space is a striking one. Its Gothic Revival facade has long been associated with the Limelight, a legendary 1980s and 1990s dance club that attracted A-listers like Madonna and Prince, and ultimately became synonymous with the era\u2019s drug-fueled rave culture and crime.\u00a0<\/p>\n Successive efforts to retenant the sanctuary \u2014 as a boutique shopping destination, a nightclub-themed gym, a French bistro and a luxury brand pop-up space \u2014 have come and gone, leaving the space long vacant. Its current neighbors on the once-holy grounds include Limelight Pizza NYC<\/a> and Jue Lan Club<\/a>, a dim sum restaurant.<\/p>\n The building signaled its readiness for a new chapter in August 2025<\/a> when the landlord, Ben Ashkenazy\u2019s Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation<\/a>, appeared to have strung up \u201cfor sale and for lease\u201d signs around its perimeter.<\/p>\n Then, earlier this year, rumors emerged that Estelle was shopping around the Upper East Side<\/a>, where it was reportedly eyeing a five-story mansion at 24 East 81st Street. The club settled on Midtown\u2019s Flatiron District, however, with the help of Savills<\/a>\u2019 Michael Bertini, Geoffrey Newman and Jordan Weiss. The landlord was represented in-house by Daniel Iwanicki.\u00a0<\/p>\n The lease term and asking rent are unknown, but retail asking rents in the Flatiron District submarket most recently averaged $306 per square foot, according to Cushman & Wakefield data.\u00a0<\/p>\n Maison Estelle\u2019s plans inside the historic church are a far cry from the Limelight\u2019s ecstatic raves and foam parties of yesteryear. Rather than establish a nightclub, representatives of Estelle told Manhattan\u2019s Community Board 5 they plan to offer a full-service restaurant at the venue, according to Traded<\/a>, which first reported on the lease.<\/p>\n Spokespeople for Estelle and Ashkenazy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n