A midcentury church on the southern end of downtown has changed hands and its new owners say they plan to preserve it, potentially turning it into an entertainment or special events venue.

The 1961 building at 1720 Main was until recently the home of the downtown congregation of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, a Christian denomination with other sanctuaries in the Houston area. The congregation had dwindled over the years, and the property was put on the market in January.

"We fell in love with the building and the architecture, and we want to protect that and leave it in place," said Andrew Estes, a partner in the group that recently purchased the 11,000-square-foot building, which sits on about a third of an acre.

Estes said he and his partners have been working on a concept for the space but have not finalized a plan.

The urban sanctuary attracted multiple bidders who came to the table with various proposals, including ones for a hotel and a residential building, said the church's broker, Shawn Baksh of Trotwood Realty.

"We had seven legitimate offers," said Baksh, who listed the 15,625-sq ft. site for $2.25 million.

AIA Houston, the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects, put a bid on the property after identifying the building as a potential new home for Architecture Center Houston, which houses the offices of AIA and the Houston Architecture Foundation, a gallery for rotating architecture-related exhibits.

The group's bid included a letter from then-mayor Annise Parker and another from former AIA Houston leader Barrie Scardino Bradley encouraging the church to seriously consider the architecture group's offer.

"It talked about who we are and that we'd be great stewards for the building," executive director Rusty Bienvenue said.

The bid was presented in English and Spanish because of the bilingual nature of the congregation.

After later increasing the amount of its offer, AIA Houston was outbid.

"We got a call back saying they went with a cash bidder that didn't need a due diligence period and could close in 30 days," Bienvenue said, adding that his group has since found another building nearby for its new home.

It sold for above asking price, Baksh said.

The church had owned the land since 1908. The building was put up in 1961, replacing an older chapel.

The structure was designed by Texas architect Milton Foy Martin and is a good representation of midcentury-modern architecture, which is "the hot thing right now," Bienvenue said.

He noted the building's unique concrete shell, tile work and gold spire.

Amid the office and residential towers surrounding it, he said, "it adds to the architecture diversity down there."