The former site of one of Manhattan’s most iconic (and infamous) nightclub is getting a members-only rebrand.

Exclusive, London-based private club Maison Estelle 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’s Flatiron District, Commercial Observer has learned. 

The new deal at 656 Avenue of the Americas represents the first stateside location of Maison Estelle’s parent company, Estelle Community. Founded by entrepreneur Sharan Pasricha, the company’s trio of U.K. clubs are well known for their exclusivity, no-photos policy and estimated annual dues around $4,000. 

Estelle’s decision to lease out the church’s 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’s drug-fueled rave culture and crime. 

Successive efforts to retenant the sanctuary — as a boutique shopping destination, a nightclub-themed gym, a French bistro and a luxury brand pop-up space — have come and gone, leaving the space long vacant. Its current neighbors on the once-holy grounds include Limelight Pizza NYC and Jue Lan Club, a dim sum restaurant.

The building signaled its readiness for a new chapter in August 2025 when the landlord, Ben Ashkenazy’s Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation, appeared to have strung up “for sale and for lease” signs around its perimeter.

Then, earlier this year, rumors emerged that Estelle was shopping around the Upper East Side, where it was reportedly eyeing a five-story mansion at 24 East 81st Street. The club settled on Midtown’s Flatiron District, however, with the help of Savills’ Michael Bertini, Geoffrey Newman and Jordan Weiss. The landlord was represented in-house by Daniel Iwanicki. 

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. 

Maison Estelle’s plans inside the historic church are a far cry from the Limelight’s ecstatic raves and foam parties of yesteryear. Rather than establish a nightclub, representatives of Estelle told Manhattan’s Community Board 5 they plan to offer a full-service restaurant at the venue, according to Traded, which first reported on the lease.

Spokespeople for Estelle and Ashkenazy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Emily Davis can be reached at edavis@commercialobserver.com.

Keywords: 656 Avenue of the Americas, Ben Ashkenazy, Daniel Iwanicki, Geoffrey Newman, Jordan Weiss, Michael Bertini, Sharan Pasricha, Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation, Estelle Community, Jue Lan Club, Limelight Pizza NYC, Maison Estelle, Savills