London’s Maison Estelle Leases Historic Limelight Church Site in Manhattan for First U.S. Location

London-based private club Maison Estelle has secured a lease for approximately 30,000 square feet within the historic Church of the Holy Communion at 656 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan's Flatiron District. This agreement marks the first U.S. location for Estelle Community, founded by entrepreneur Sharan Pasricha, known for its exclusive U.K. clubs and a no-photos policy.

The 19th-century deconsecrated church, famously the site of the Limelight nightclub, has seen multiple unsuccessful attempts to retenant its main sanctuary. Landlord Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation had placed "for sale and for lease" signs in August 2025. Savills brokers Michael Bertini, Geoffrey Newman, and Jordan Weiss represented Maison Estelle, with Daniel Iwanicki handling the deal in-house for the landlord.

Maison Estelle plans to operate a full-service restaurant, a significant departure from the site's previous nightclub identity. This adaptive reuse project transforms a long-vacant, iconic property, signaling a new chapter for the Gothic Revival building and highlighting the ongoing demand for high-end hospitality and private member clubs in prime New York City locations.