DETROIT -- A long-vacant Corktown building that was on its way to demolition will be preserved for at least another year.

The 11,000-square-foot CPA building at 2238 Michigan Ave. ordered to be torn down last week after authorities indicated it was in dangerous condition.

But Detroit City Council voted on Tuesday to approve a resolution to grant the building interim historic designation for up to a year, during which the building will be studied carefully for historic relevance and safety.

Several preservationists who stood against the demolition were impressed with city council for picking up the issue in a short time, calling their leadership "inspiring."

"It's democracy in action," said Chad Rochkind of the Corktown Economic Development Corporation. "Corktown has been trying to get better organized to better respond to this and put our own vision in the neighborhood."

Evan Ambrose, who runs Hostel Detroit, called Detroit an inspiring place for people to observe and learn about architecture, and CPA Building a part of that.

"A lot of the charm Corktown has is due to the architecture and history that we have here," Ambrose said. "Keeping these buildings around is only going to help stabilize the community and really cement the personality of the community."

He added it's important for the community to keep "architectural gems" standing, especially since many of his student clients study Corktown.

"These buildings didn't just pop up on accident, they weren't designed on accident, there was a lot of intention putt into them," Amrbose said. "It's nice to know we're in a neighborhood where people can mobilize like that quickly."

Mark Hall, a student at the College for Creative studies, said the preservation of the David Whitney and Book Cadillac buildings downtown are examples of preservation success stories.

"Corktown has always been a home away from home," said Hall, who lives in Brush Park. "Almost every business that's opened up in Corktown are in old buildings ... like Katoi, Slows BBQ."

Hall contacted several community members and actively posted contact numbers and petitions to social media to help halt the demolition.

He said there's been interest from developers who want to purchase the building, including the owner of the Wurlitzer Building.

"This building can be so many things, a hotel, lofts, offices, creative space, I would love to see any of those capacities to fill up the building," Hall said.

Jennifer Ross of the Detroit Historic District Commission told council members that CPA Building owner BFD Corktown LLC, a subsidiary of New York-based Sequoia Property Partners was contacted through the law department's nuisance abatement program.

The law department later filed a lawsuit against the entities and obtained a court order on Nov. 3, according to a Crain's Detroit Business report.